


UPRISING

by UnadulteratedFanfiction



Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Death/s, Descent into Madness, Dystopia, M/M, Rebellion, Self Harm, Sex (Non explicit), Spoilers, Victory at any cost, chaos and destruction, dark future, ends justify the means, self hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21667306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnadulteratedFanfiction/pseuds/UnadulteratedFanfiction
Summary: A post-retribution setting fic.Retribution has finally materialized his objectives and assaulted the farm, raiding it for resources along with several other powered experiment government sites. He has released a large number of prisoners, all victims of the corrupt government. The Uprising has begun, and Sidestep is one of the leading voices. Action begins as he prepares his second major strike against the establishment, the theft of a massive superweapon during a military parade.
Relationships: Ortega/Sidestep (Fallen Hero), Steel / Ortega
Kudos: 15





	1. HELIOS

“Alert. This is the Automated Citizen Defense System of Los Diablos. All citizens must head to the designated safe zones and bunkers. Grade 3 powered activity is currently ongoing. Authorities have been alerted.” The message keeps repeating through loudspeakers.

Littered streets. Handbags abandoned by terrified owners. Overturned cars on fire. Town Hall and it’s surrounding streets have turned into a disaster area as the parade came to an abrupt end.

The government uses military parades to showcase its military might against their Russian, Chinese, and now European counterparts. This one, however, has turned to chaos, and will likely bring nothing but shame. 

High above, the gigantic airship looms over the buildings, menacingly.

_________________________________________________________________

It hurts. It hurts so much, and you can barely walk as it is. But that's not stopping you, since you're not alone anymore. They carry you, one of them holding each arm.  
Your people. 

Regenes. Prisoners. All of them experiments, just like you. Victims of the farm, and it’s host of perverted sister programs.

The two set you down on the command chair and step back, waiting for orders.

Orders.

Shit.

You turn to your left. Even that hurts

“Cybra, tell the twins to be ready to do some first aid on me?” you ask in a low voice. She nods. Her eyes flash briefly with a green light as she inputs your orders directly into the systems. This would be impossible without her powers.

You take a brief look at yourself. Definitely will need surgery. The bandage should at least hold for now you hope. Passing out right now would be a huge embarrassment.

"Your orders, sir?" a younger Cuckoo asks. Cygon... Cygar... what was his name again? Nevermind.

Orders. Right.

“Show me where the rangers are right now”

Cestus turns to his console and activates the large viewscreens. The cameras show wide views of the whole situation, looking down from your current position.

Helios is a massive weaponized airship, mixing helium gas cells and anti-gravity technology along with state of the art laster weapons to create an impressive engine of destruction.

Unlike most secret weapons, this one was designed to be put on display. Bring terror into the hearts of the enemy. An example of military superiority.

Stealing it during its maiden flight during the parade was a gambir, but it paid off tenfold.

Some screens show leftovers of the show, as people ran for their lives during the battle above and below. Your people overpowering the crew. Shock troops mounting a distraction on the ground level... The military having its weapons turned against them, thanks to Cybra and yourself. The Rangers trying to ruin it all. Ortega shooting you…

They didn’t think much about your Revolution before. That is about to change.

Cestus finally finds the Rangers, reproducing the visual on every screen.

Herald is carrying Argent, trying to land her on top of the ship’s hull. Steel is elevating behind them, using his jump jets. His jump isn’t perfect, but he’s surely relying on Herald picking him up if he fails. The kid’s gone far with his precision flight that Chen trusts him that much.

“Set up a welcoming committee. Let’s show them how we play,” you ask, choking another pulse of pain.

A hatch opens, and several armed combat regenes spread trough the hull.  
They’re not sentient. Few among you truly are. Your new "Society" is a caste system. Those who can think for themselves all fall into your inner circle. You hate to use the rest like that, but even they would agree on the logic of your thinking. They are living weapons, and could never be anything else thanks to your creators. They were made to fight, so you will lead them, to fight for themselves. 

The rangers land… and the battle breaks out.

Cybra’s eye flicker with red light this time. She hasn’t spoken ever again since your second capture… since they changed her mind and broke her into whatever she is now. But she can still warn you of impending danger.

You switch your attention to the newly activating viewscreen.

Radar sweeps. Dots homing on your position.

“Fighter jets.” Cestus clarifies. You can feel the pressure in everyone’s minds intensifying. This is the definitive test.

“They are firing on us”. He announces. Rockets. Dozens of them.

A two-faced regene enter the room… The twins. They bring medical supplies They walk straight to you, extending their multiple arms to lift you off the chair... 

You hold a hand. “Not yet. Standby” you ask. The twins and your wounded self will have to wait until the crisis is over.

“Will the lasers work?” you ask. You’re unsure. Everyone is. The ship’s systems are encrypted with the most advanced technology.

Cobra's eyes go white… then green once more. Good. Green is a good color for her. 

“Activate the point defense system, Sister” you order. “We need to show them we’ve mastered their technology”   
Laser emitters all over the hull start powering up.

Cellex gets to it, making sure they are all ready to fire. He’s different. Unlike the others, he never liked you.

Nobody liked Cellex either. Too aggressive, even your makers punished him often. Still, no one could negate his skills. He has superhuman reflexes and durability, along with highly enhanced senses that go beyond anything you've seen. Him operating the guns makes the most sense.

He doesn’t like you, but he knows you’re right. 

“Fire as soon as they get in range!”

Rockets approach your position. And then… turquoise lines in the sky surge all over the hull as the laser emitters fire, each one ending at the tip of one of the missiles. A curtain of explosions covers your view. The close blasts rock the ship hard. You hold on to your chair, letting out a pained groan, as everyone braces themselves.

You look at the fight atop the hull. One of your soldiers is swept away along with Herald. Unlike the warrior, Herald can just fly back onto the hull tough. Steel has magnetized his boots and has a clear advantage, while Argent clings with her claws. Most of your people have their own means to hold on, but their simulated training is putting them at a disadvantage against the rangers field-experience.

“Enough of this. Begin the broadcast on my mark” you ask. Cybra’s eyes switch color several times. You take your mask and put it on.

Showtime.

A large screen atop a building showing the ongoing alert message dies, and then reboots, showing you instead. Retribution. If all goes to plan, this should be infecting everything, from streaming sites to add screens in stores. Seeing your massive red mask on top of a skyscraper brings a weird reality to this. Not many villains ever got this far. 

“Citizens of Los Diablos!” you start, trying to input a commanding voice. The voice modulator does the rest, bringing the villain you’ve become to life.

“I have taken control of this war monstrosity your hidden masters and corporations have created, in the name of our Uprising!” you continue, trying to keep a rhythm. Cestus nods. Of course, he does, he’s always worshiped you.

“Even now, your so-called "heroes” continue to serve the corporations and slavers who rule your destinies. They would extinguish our flame. But they will fail!“ a slight mental push and Cybra replaces you on the screens with images of the rangers battling, trying to get inside Helios’s hull. Trying to rescue Ortega.

The battle isn’t going their way right now. They are surrounded from all sides, as more and more gene-warriors crawl to them from the hatch. It doesn’t mean they are defeated but it adds to the effect of your message. Let the people see their heroes fail on live TV.

The jet fighters turn for another pass. Good.

"Your rulers do not trust these heroes enough!. Watch how they cowardly sent their air-force, to destroy us all, including your rangers” The screens turn once more, to display the turning jets.

“They too shall fail. Behold your punny toys destroyed by my power!” you state in a grim tone. Expanding your mind. Reaching the pilots. They are trained. They try to defend themselves.

But you’ve gone far beyond… Defenses like this are nothing. Distance is nothing. Their shields are nothing. In the end, there is only your will, negating theirs.

Their flight becomes erratic… spiraling out of control… finally crashing down into the sea. The screens turn once more to you.

“Nothing will stop the Uprising!… OUR Uprising!” you say extending your hand to your subordinates. They’re not on screen, but the gesture is symbolic. “Open your eyes, Los Diablos. I am no enemy, I am no conqueror. We were the victims, the oppressed, the outcasts... but no more! I bring truth and hope to my people. A truth that even humans can benefit from, should they choose to listen…” you pause for drama. You feel you might pass out at any moment, need to wrap this up now.

“Do not test me, Los Diablos!. Or I will bring the end to everything you hold dear!” you snarl. That’s Cellex’s cue. Your image is replaced by Los Diablos’s city hall, and audio stops.

The main super laser emitters, all four of them, begin charging.

“Repeat the last words in a loop. And give the guests a show of our prisoner” you order holding your side. The pain's too much.

You sit back, trying to find a comfortable position for a villain who has just been shot. You find none. You’re just glad the cameras are off you right now because it’s not pretty.

One of your soldiers approaches Argent holding a hologram emitter. The thing turns own, showing her the brig, where Ortega is held... Arms and legs bound, his ranger suit thorn in several places. He doesn’t look very good right now. You made sure of that. But he’s alive.

“…the end to everything you hold dear!…. the end to everything you hold dear! … the end to everything you hold dear!…” your words resonate through the loudspeakers, and possibly through every electronic video device being held trough Los Diablos right now.

Ther rangers stare at the hologram, the fighting ceased. Your threat is quite clear. 

"Get off my fucking ship or I'll kill him" you snarl to the microphone, your voice getting only to them trough the holo-emitter. Hurts too much to keep up the monologuing act.

The mega-lasers fire. Green lasers, turning the town hall ablaze. Windows exploding as the heat runs through each floor.

You’re pretty certain they had a long time to evacuate beforehand, but some people might still die. There’s simply no way for you to avoid it by now. You’re out of options, and you need to send a strong message.

“They are leaving,” Cestus says pointing at the screens.

Yes. The Rangers are coming down. They know they can’t fight their way in. They know you’ll torch the city if you have to. And they think you’ll kill Ortega if they keep fighting.

Would you? That’s a good darn question.

“Now… twins.. please” you whimper. You’ve held your act as long as you could, but now you’re just falling apart. It hurts like hell… you need painkillers right now.

The twins open your suit and unceremoniously inject you with whatever it is they think your body needs. It strikes you how blunt they are. But they know their stuff.

“Engage the cloaking device… and set the thrusters to full speed… Cybra, engage interference… and..” Cestus stops you with a hand on your arm. 

"We've got this, Cyrus" he states. You stop. He's right, they all know what they’re doing. You've been alone for too long, and you're not used to having your brothers and sisters around you, each of them as efficient as you are. All their minds want is for you to rest now.

A single nod… before you start feeling the effects of anesthesia and being carried off, to the infirmary.

Helios starts to fade into the cloudy sky of Los Diablos, engaging its thrusters and bringing its Revolution elsewhere. 

Leaving behind a torched building, and a team of heroes that’s now one man short.

You feel your eyes drift …  
_______________________________

(…) Dreams. People. The parade is back… they march… towards the burning town hall building. Their bodies catch on fire as they enter. But they keep marching on. You make them. They want to scream, but you silence them. They just keep walking into the fire (…)  
_______________________________

You hear a voice in your head.

“…. ok?”

“Hmm?” You complain. You keep your eyes closed. You’re too sleepy.

“Cyrus!”

Stupid dreams.

“Cyrus please…”

You manage to open an eye. You’re at the infirmary. It takes a few seconds for you to recap how you got there.

“Cyrus, can you hear me?”

OK, that’s not a dream. You turn. The man in the bed next to you….

Ortega. Both arms and legs still bound, but now bare-chested and all of his wounds have been carefully cleaned and bandaged. Some cables connected to his arm are recharging his battery too.

“What… are you doing here?” you ask confused

“You captured me” he points out.

Oh. Right. You did capture him, then locked him up in the brig once you secured the ship. And you ordered the Twins to look after him, then went to the command sector to deal with the situation. And of course, you also asked the twins to patch you up.

You didn’t expect they would bring him here. You even thought you’d meet him back at the brig, with full costume, once you were healed.. maybe taunt him a bit… make a speech…

But no. The twins have little interest in anything other than their work, this ship has only one infirmary, and you're not sure what were you thinking. 

“That… thing… was operating on you? The one with the four eyes and many arms”

“The twins,” you say.

“Ah… They uh… worried me. I thought they were… harming you”

“No. they are.. medical prodigies. They were operating on my …” you narrow your gaze. “You shot me” you accuse him coldly.

“You stole an experimental airship with several mounted superweapons” he replies, matching your accusing tone.

“I did. And no one could stop me. Not you, nor the police, nor the military or the farm. And certainly not the rest of the rangers. Not even the air force. My team is better than yours Ortega.”

He instantly looks annoyed. You hit a nerve. Assaulting the courthouse was a distraction while the gene-warriors waited for the right moment to jump onto the airship with their modified grappling hooks.

Still, a distraction that led to an all-out battle with the Rangers. Retribution wasn’t alone though. Cestus, Cellex, and Aegis were with you.

Aegis. You thought she was dead all those years ago. Not quite… The farm captured the former villain, and you met once more after you were taken in following Heartbreak.

She’s consumed with revenge, and your former enemy is now one of your strongest supporters.

Together, the four of you beat the crap out of them. 

You defeated them. Your team was more orderly. More disciplined. Acted and moved as one.

And when they realized Helios was your true objective, when you cued everyone to flee and the automated alarm started telling people to evacuate…

Ortega shot you. You remember, falling backward, as Cestus held you. Aegis beating Ortega senseless, Cellex carrying him over to your extraction point. You and Cestus hurrying behind them…

A modified energy gun. Went right through your armor. Designed specifically to take you down most likely.

You could be dead.

Dead because you keep playing games with the enemy. That has to stop. 

“You know you’re lying to them, right?” he asks. “There’s no way this uprising of yours will end well.”

You hesitate for a split second. He has a point, but some lies are necessary.

“It certainly doesn’t seem like we’re losing right now, does it? You on the other hand…”

“Come on…” he struggles a bit with his bindings, trying to fully turn to face you. “If you keep this up you’re going to end up dead Cyrus!”

“Concerned about me ending up dead?” you ask incredulously. “Gee I wonder who gave me this then because it clearly can’t be you,” you say looking at your wound.

“I just… ” He looks upwards trying to phrase whatever it is he’s going to say in his mind. “I just wanted to stop you!. You killed a lot of innocent people today, Cyrus!”

“Oh please. The evacuation alert had been going for a long while when we fired. Anyone in that building was either a soldier or plain stupid.”

“Seems you think this is a war”

“It is a war dumbass. And I try to only kill enemy combatants. Unlike your government”

“My government?”

“Yeah. Your government. And I get it, It’s pointless to talk to you about it. You’re just incapable of seeing it from our point of view”

“And what point is that? Destroying everything? There are better ways!”

“Wow… you really believe that?”

“You have to stop! Why can’t you see it?”

“You don’t get it, do you? We’re not going to be able to go to the courts or even jail. If we stop the fight, they’ll just kill us. If we lose, they’ll also kill us. And if we hide, they’ll find us and guess what? Kill us. And even if they didn’t, we’d go back to being their lab rats, their slaves, their fucking mindless drones. We’ve had enough”

“I…”

“No. Save it. I don’t need to listen to any more of your shit. I don’t care. You’re a prisoner, and we’ll have to decide what to do with you now. So see you later Charge.” you try to sit. It hurts, and you’re dizzy, but you can’t do this anymore. You can’t keep talking to him right now. The twins move to stop you, but you don’t. You stand, realizing too late you’re completely utterly naked.

Shit. Embarrassing. And you wanted to give him a villainous speech. 

(Maybe next time?)

You just take your pants and head for the door.

“Cyrus stop! We can…”

You don’t. You slam the door behind you.

“…I’m sorry I shot you,” Ortega says after you leave. Though only he and the twins get to hear those words. 

The ship is huge, you can’t help thinking as you enter your quarters. Captain’s quarters.

You dress up. Your left side hurts so much…

You were stupid. Weak. If you hadn’t twisted your plan to avoid unnecessary casualties, none of this would have happened.

What are you trying to prove? That you can be a villain while still following a hero’s code?

If you keep it up, Ortega will be right. You’ll get everyone killed next time. You’ll get killed too. And you can’t die right now. Not until you set things right. That’s your destiny. The only unmovable, inevitable thing you can trust. You used to count Ortega there, but he’s not lived up to the image you had of him. 

Maybe you need to stop being selfish and think of the bigger picture. Stop being weak. Stop fighting a war with a hand-tied to your back.

You tried. And where did that get you?

The one person you trusted (loved) all your life tried to kill you today. To save some soldiers wanting to enslave you once more. He was fine with ignoring your Villain career as long as it was just robbing museums. Auctions. Fighting some random heroes. But once things got real, he picked a side and it’s clearly not yours. 

You look at yourself in the mirror. You hate what you see. But you don’t fear it anymore.

You don’t hide your tattoos anymore. No. Not after the breakout, when you released so many from the farm. You make a point to show them, to give them purpose. Meaning. Accept what you are, and move on. Make a mess against those who would oppress them. Use them. (But aren’t you using them too, you wonder?) 

You let the world see who you are that day, You revealed the wrong they did to your kind.

And they didn’t care. It wasn’t like you expected. There was no immediate stop to the experiments. No release of the prisoners everywhere. No massive human rights movement surging. 

There are only two fundamental truths you learned. 

The first one is that You are not humans, and never will be. The second one is that they will keep chasing you like rabid dogs as long as they possibly can. 

Maybe it’s time to finally bite back.

______________________________

My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero 

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.


	2. Psycho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing the Post-Retribution setting, this fic follows Sidestep through his day as the the-facto leader of the Rebellion, solving problems and attempting to carry out his master plan.

“Good doctor, I know you haven’t been completely honest with me,” you say walking towards him. Confident. Intimidating. You don’t need a mask to fall into your villain persona anymore.

“Whatever do you mean Retribution?” he asks raising from his bench. His mind is a maze as usual. You’re not sure what kind of chemicals is he using, but you haven’t been able to read him so far. He thinks he's being smart, and the scary thing is he probably is. You can't afford to take risks. “These have all been temporary setbacks! The prototype will be ready in time" 

“Funny. I believe the prototype is ready right now, and I believe you’re making up these delays because you’re having second thoughts”

“Untrue!” Mortum protests “I just need more time! You need to adjust the time-frame! You’re asking for the impossible!”

“I thought impossible is what you did Mortum.” You spit his own words back at him. “Perhaps you need a little incentive. Maybe we can bring Eden to one of our little chats, no?”.

“N… no” his voice trembles. “That.. won’t be necessary”

“Good. CAn you, or can you not ready the device for a demonstration?” you ask.

“Maybe… maybe I can adjust some of the parameters to allow for early testing” he starts. Bingo. You knew something was up, but you went through his work three times without finding any mistake. He’s too crafty for you to find the flaw with his work. It took a threat to drive it out of him. Already he wants to betray you, no doubt about that.

“Excellent.”

“You do know tests are meaningless without incorporating the Hourglass technology,”

“Thank you for reminding me. I know that Doctor, but rest assured It will be acquired as planned,” you say, heading for the door. “Just remember it was you who didn’t want Eden involved. Wouldn't want our business relationship to end up in a sour note... for him” your let out before leaving, poison dripping from your words.

You hear a loud noise. Even the preparations he made to cloud his mind from you can’t cover the outburst. Your mind easily picks up on his rage, as he begins trashing the lab, flinging test tubes and destroying a computer. And then, he stops. And goes back to the test chamber, to start working again. Good, that means you got to him.

You can’t help but feel some of his own frustration drip into yourself.

Nothing else to do but keep going, removing each and every one of the obstacles ahead. All your plans fall apart if you don’t manage to master this technology. There is no other choice, and If Mortum fails to deliver, you will have to find someone who will, which could turn problematic. His attraction for your puppet can control him for now, but that could change. 

The new underground lair now resembles a small city. The abandoned bunker has been expanded with new tunnels and completely refurbished, providing living and working space for most of your rebellion. It was originally created by a doomsday cult whose leader was exposed as a fraud all over the media almost a decade ago. The guy was not wrong on the coming apocalypse, you ponder, but he had his dates mixed up. 

Your vehicle is ready, and a soldier regen drives you away through the endless tunnels, towards the debriefing room.   
It’s going to be another long day.

————————————————–

You rush through the corridor. Cestus follows you, reading the latest report as he keeps up the phase.

“Another skirmish in San Francisco. We lost seven soldiers” he goes on to describe the battle.

“Our Frisco team is low on manpower” he continues. “Their rangers again”

You sigh. “Order the lab to … start growing a new battalion of them.”  
He stops. You keep walking. He catches up.

“Cellex won’t like this”

“Well, what Cellex doesn’t know, he can’t complain about” you answer.

Gene Warriors. The farm has perfected a quick process to breed them in a matter of weeks. They are non-sentient and almost completely guided by their implants.  
You stole hundreds of them, still in their pods when you assaulted the farm. Everyone agreed to use them at the time.

But as your operations extended beyond the initial weeks, everyone had second thoughts. Your uprising has extended nation-wide, and a few hundred powered soldiers were nothing compared to your enemies.  
Gene Warriors are highly effective, but experienced heroes managed to kill several of them in the first clashes. Also, tHey can sometimes be a bit predictable unless you have a sentient agent leading them.

Thus, you ordered your labs to start growing new ones. They cried out when you first proposed it, and the second time, and the third time... but in time they fell silent.   
Everyone but Cellex. He's got a point, of course.  
If you’re growing regenes and sending them to fight, how are you different from the farm? What does the uprising stand for?

Still, warriors are what they are. They would never complain about this situation. It’s what Regina had them made for. And now it's you ordering there be more of them.  
The choice is obvious.   
You have the technology and none among the sentients wants to die. Well, mostly none of course.  
Having soldiers around makes it easier for the sentient regenes to survive the ongoing war. 

There isn't even an argument in your mind. if you accomplish your plan, it will remove this moral ambiguity altogether. If only they were ready to understand it…

Nowadays no one raises an issue every time you order a new batch, except for Cellex. They feel guilty and dirty every time he monologues against it, so they argue they vote your way out of loyalty. Let you be the one bearing the blame.   
Seeing how he was outvoted, he insisted on reviewing how many of them you use. He wants to put some sort of limit, but of course, you can’t have that. Not if you want to survive long enough to accomplish something.  
You are becoming the villain among your people as well, perhaps sooner than you expected.

You stop by the reinforced door.

“Get it done Cestus”  
“Of course Cyrus,” He says looking down  
You put a hand on his shoulder  
“Hey. It’s ok. I know It’s a lot I’m asking of you. But we need to use the tools we’ve been given if we want to win” you reassure him, adding a slight mental touch to get him on board with it. It's become a force of habit by now. Ease their second thoughts and let them think alike.   
“O.. ok,” he says looking up, some light returned to his gaze. “I know Cyrus.. it’s just hard”  
“You can do it. I always trusted you the most” It comes easy, since he adores you.  
“It’s not about trust… Say… Are you going to see Charge again?” he says looking away. The question reeks of envy in his mind.  
“I need to ask him some questions about the Frisco Rangers” you lie. “I don’t want a repeat of today”  
“Alright,” he nods. “See you back at your quarters,” he says as he leaves.

You just want to scream in frustration. But you can’t. You brought this on yourself.   
Cestus and you were secretly together back at the farm. And now you're together again.   
It's not something you wanted, but he wouldn't understand it if you told him you've changed. He hasn't.   
You need his vote on the council, and this is the simplest way to achieve it. You barely need to influence him as he'd probably do anything you asked.   
You still feel… something for him, but It’s certainly not love.   
Maybe it never was. 

But you still manage to smile and kiss him, and let him be with you. You're going to need loyal people badly very soon.

And then there’s Ortega. Your prisoner. Your enemy. All you had to do was get rid of him. Maybe a prisoner exchange. What did you do? Keep him close. talk to him. End up in bed with him while at it.  
That’s you. Self-destructive to the core.  
His game is clear. First, he thinks he can convince you to go back to the good path, deluded idiot he is. Second, obviously wants to “Seduce the villain” to get you to make a mistake. The worst part? It’s actually working to an extent.  
You’ve curved down the unnecessary deaths and try to keep civilian casualties down where you could due to his insistence on the subject.

You justified yourself saying you want there to be peace after your side has won the war.

Win the war… It’s shocking just how easily they bought all your lies about the glorious victory of the rebellion. Casualties will come plentiful in the end. They are just irrelevant right now.

————————————————————-  
You nod to the guards at the cell’s entrance, and they open it for you…

“Well if it isn’t my favorite Psycho?” Ortega speaks sarcastically as you enter the large cell. It’s more like a small apartment now, with several amenities like a TV and insulated gaming consoles.

“Had a rough day” you begin  
“Yeah, I saw. You blew up a shopping mall in San Francisco with a nanite weapon” he accuses you.

“Guilty. But It was empty. Like the museum”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s empty! You’re causing panic in the city!”

“Well, that’s on them. If they would agree to my terms, none of this would be necessary. And I needed to show them the airship isn’t my only weapon.

"So you’re resorting to terrorism”

“Stop,” you say “The only deaths were on our side anyways”

“You’re sending your people to die then,” he says glaring at you. "How's that any better?"

“Stop” you repeat, wrapping your arms around him. It’s surprising how physical you’ve become now that every threat to your existence is gone.  
“I would electrocute you, If your scientist hadn’t disconnected my emitters, you know,” He says, not stopping you. 

“But you can’t. And my scientist did disconnect your emitters”

“Well maybe I found a way to reactivate them, you know?”

“Zap me then. Fry me right here. Stop me” You hold him tighter, inviting him to act on his threat. Some part of you wishes he would actually do it. 

But nothing happens.

He frees himself from your arms.  
“You’re the one who needs to stop. I’m not your bitch, you can’t come here and…”  
“Maybe I AM your bitch after all Ricardo. That’s what the media used to report all the time about your little sidekick, didn’t they? Sidestep was just that” You say with a cynical smile “Do you remember how they made fun of me? How they… ”  
He gives you a murderous glare, and then spins you, holding an arm behind your back, painfully. He pushes you against a wall, pinning you down.  
“Oh…bossy. I like it” you say with a snort, your face against the wall.  
“Shut up!” he says adding pressure. You choke a gasp of pain. He might break your arm if you’re not careful or call the guards.  
But you won’t. You wanted to provoke him  
He let’s go, walking away. Cooling down.  
That’s not what you need.  
“What’s the matter, Ricardo? I destroyed a fucking shopping mall. Big deal. Doesn’t the Hero in you want to give me a lesson?” You taunt. "Whom do I have to kill to get your attention?" 

And then it all happens too fast. He lifts you… and flings you. You fall on the bed.  
He closes in, and climbs on top of you, holding your wrists down, a furious expression overtaking him.

And you kiss him.  
And he kisses you back, pinning you down. Taking your clothes off. Exposing the tattoos.

He’s going to make it hurt.  
And you deserve it. Especially after what you did to Mortum today. That’s why you provoked him in the first place.  
It won’t matter in the end. Nothing will. You may as well have as many moments with him as you can.

Before you set things right.

Before you put an end to it all.  
You.  
Him.  
Everyone else.

……………………………………………………………

“What’s with the names?” he asks as he lays exhausted by your side. He always does this. String you from some more information. And you let him. Tease him for more next time. 

“What do you mean?”

“Cellex. Cybra. Cestus. Cyrus. I am noticing a theme?”

You smile. Of course, there’s a theme. 

“Infiltration regenes like me are called Cuckoos. At some point after my second capture, I started promoting this… Uprising. We decided to give ourselves names, not just serial bar codes. They’re the ones who helped me escape the second time”

“So the C stands for Cuckoo?” he asks

“It was Cellex’s idea. To be proud of what we are.”

“And are you?” He says looking at you.

“Of course not.” You say wondering how can he even ask that. “They made us to be slaves. They had us kill people. They owned our bodies. They did… terrible things to us Ricardo” you can’t stop thinking about Cybra, and what they turned her into. The sole idea makes your skin crawl with anger.

“I talked to Celise” he lets on. 

“Oh.” You ponder. Celise. She’s one of you, but she’s been content to stay on the back lines of your rebellion. Her power isn’t offensive or suited for combat. She is likely working the tunnels, and she's curious. Perhaps too curious. 

“She told me something about what happened… how they took you for experiments… for whole days. She tells me it was pretty bad every time they took you back to your cell.”

You can’t help nausea. “Pretty bad” doesn’t begin to describe it. 

“They were animals” you let go.  
“But why… why the focus on you?”

“I stopped the Nanosurge And when no one could stop Heartbreak, I just walked in and shot him. They were impressed”

“Oh?”

“The Farm’s funding had been cut in half prior to Heartbreak. The whole program was always a risk if it filtered into the media. The government was focusing on mods instead. There were even talks about closing it. And then, they got me, and they shifted all their attention to my powers, and how could they create others like me to fight their wars. They stopped at nothing… they figured out my emotions had to do with my ability. What they did to me…It was beyond torture… it was hell.”

“Shit” Ortega says holding your hand. “Do you… want to talk about it?” he asks.

Fuck. For a moment, he had you. You had begun to forget where you were. THat he was your prisoner. 

You raise from the bed, dressing up, letting go of his hand. 

“Perhaps another time” 

You leave the room since you got what you wanted.

——————————————–

You walk to the elevator and enter. This one has a mirror.

The reflection glares at you with a murderous expression.

Is this who you are now? It strikes you how little is left from your old self, the naive youngster who thought he could have a life by just escaping the farm.

You were such a fool.

“Cyrus” a voice in the intercom speaks. It’s Cellex.

“What is it?” You ask in your most neutral tone. Did Cestus tell him about the new regene soldiers you ordered already? This might be a problem.

“We’ve found objective one” he speaks calmly. “The Hourglass Armor”

“Really?” you say containing your breath. “Where?”

“A freak calling us. Calls himself Psycopathor. He really wants to talk to you”

“Shit,” you say annoyed. “I’ll be right there”

“I assume you’re not on good terms? I mean, is there anyone in this world who doesn't hate you?” Cellex asks sarcastically.

“Go fuck yourself Cellex, as if you were ever popular with anyone. I’m coming! Don’t call him again until I’m there! You don’t know that guy, he’s a…

”…a psycho?“ Cellex asks with a snort. You are just frozen, staring at your own reflection. The elevator doors take an eternity to open, and you leave without looking back. 

______________________________

My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero 

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit too long when I wrote it, and the theme keeps jumping. I should have cut it into pieces, but never had the time for it. I fixed it a bit for AO3, but it's staying mostly as it was.


	3. Edna's Roadside Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus and his fellow Rebel Cestus drive out of Los Diablos to meet Psycopathor and hear out his proposal.   
> An awkward encounter with the psychic giant, over a side of fries.

“Here?!” you ask in disbelief

“Yes. I told you, this is the right address”

“But it’s just a dinner” you complain

“Well, maybe we can have something to eat?” Cestus grins.

"Fucking Psycopathor." you say following him.

You come inside. Edna’s Roadside Dinner. Right in front of the gas station. That and some coordinates where the actual directions you were given.

You were expecting a facade to cover up his activities, not the actual thing. The place looks deserted, except for one table.

“Over here!” the large man chuckles while holding a half-eaten hamburger.

Wow. He’s sitting on a table, in full costume, except he’s taken off his mask to chew on the sandwich. Unbelievable.

You and Cestus look at each other, then back to him. You approach. Psycopathor motions to the chairs in front of you.

“Take your seats, please”

You reluctantly take your place, as does Cestus besides you. An old woman wearing a pink apron comes up to your table, handing you some menus.

You’re in full combat suits, helmet on, just like Cestus, but the old lady gives you the menu and smiles like you’re just another customer.

The whole scene is so surreal you can only manage to ask for Edna’s special and a sweet soda. Cestus orders some fries and beer. He likes a beer now that he can have it.

Her mind is protected somehow. You cannot catch her thoughts.

Your gaze turns to Psycopathor.

“No peeking!” He says with that murderous smile of his.

“What?” Cestus asks, confused

“Your friend Retribution is trying to take a look at my friend’s mind. That’s not nice” He explains. “Or should I call him Sidestep?”

“Retribution is fine,” you say as you feel the pressure of his mind onto yours. You give him a strong mental push to encase him back inside the confines of his own skull in a split second. You add words to your push “Stay the fuck out!”. That should teach him who’s the actual telepath here.

He is startled enough he almost falls from his chair. And then he laughs.

“I guess you’re Retribution after all. You’re much much stronger these days!”

You glare at him, ready to fry his mind here and now.

Cestus intercedes, trying to defuse the tension.

“You said you have the armor?”

“Have it… well I don’t exactly have it, but I can help you get it”

“What?” you say annoyed. “I should have known better than…”

“Now now, let’s not be hasty,” he says holding his palms in a conciliatory tone that doesn’t really fit with the PSycopathor you know “I don’t have the Hourglass Armor, but I know who has it”

“And who would that be?” Cestus asks as you stay quiet in silent fury.

“The Rangers got it in a raid last week.”

Fuck. That complicates things.

“So what do you propose?” Cestus continues.

“I dare say that you have something they want more than anything” he suggests “They want it badly enough they won’t follow proper regulations”

“Charge” Cestus continues.

You don’t like where this is going. Ricardo is your prisoner and you’re not releasing him. Ever. You don’t want any more dilemmas about having to fight him and whether you're going to killing each other or not. He’s fine and safe where he is now.

“It won’t work” you interrupt. “They would just set a trap against us”

“Not if a neutral party takes care of ensuring both sides can get what they want, and has some interest of their own in the matter?”

“And you’re that neutral party these days?” you ask sarcastically.

“Well…” he says until a voice at the entrance interrupts him.

“I’m telling you this is the wrong place!” Lady Argent complains.

“For the tenth time, this is the right address!” Chen remarks.

And then they stare at you and Cestus. You reach for your weapon when…

“Hello Rangers. Let’s not get violent here, shall we?” Pyscopathor’s booming voice makes them turn to face him.

For a few awkward minutes, it’s a staring contest between you all. You are so glad you have your mask on.

Finally, Argent and Steel relent, and Psycopathor motions for them to sit on the other side of the table.

Tension so thick it can be cut with a knife.

They take their seats without a word.

“You said you could help us recover Ortega” Chen goes straight to the point, glaring at PSycopathor and you.

“Indeed I did” he seems to think all of this is funny.

Fucking insane lunatic. This could turn into an all-out battle any minute.

The old lady returns with their menus because of course, they have to order too. This is Psycopathor’s crazy-land.

Chen is at a loss for words. Argent looks at her with a “WTF” expression.

They finally manage to order something just to get her to leave.

“Now” Psycopathor begins “As I was telling Retribution here, you each have something the other wants”

“You will return Charge right now” Chen threatens you.

“I will return nothing! You have a history for leaving people behind, you deal with it!” you accuse him.

“You let him to or I’m going to cut you in two, you double-crossing piece of shit!” Argent stands up violently, her chair falling to the side.

Cestus moves over you as if to block her incoming attack and…

“ENOUGH!” Psycopathor sends a mental wave making his voice sound like thunder. You could shut him up, but you decide against it for now.

Partly because his intervention was so effective it startled you too.

“You need to at least hear me out. Give it a chance” He says motioning for Argent to sit once more.

Argent reluctantly returns to her chair.

“Good. Let’s discuss like civilized people?”

“Since when are you civilized,” You ask with a scoff

“Since when are you people?” he shoots back.

“Touché,” Cestus says, removing his helm and revealing a grin.

“Whatever,” you say annoyed, but letting this one pass.

“You have Charge prisoner. And you…” he says looking at the rangers “… you’ve recently acquired the Hourglass armor, a piece of Technology Retribution has been seeking for a long time”

“I can neither confirm, nor deny that,” Steel says with a calculating gaze.

“I know you have it” Psycopathor seems to be having loads of fun with this “And you know he has Ricardo Ortega in some hidden basement. I wonder if it’s true what they used to say about Sidestep and Charge….” he adds “Maybe he’s made him his little bitch by now”

Chen is rapidly turning red with rage, but he manages to keep his cool. You wonder what would happen if you told him the truth.

But you can’t. Cestus is right at your side, and he’s not a fan of Psycopathor’s theory either.

“Had your fun?” Argent asks “If you could make some sense about now, it would swell. Just saying, because you're like a million years old, could die anytime PSycho.”

“Burned! Hahaha... like your style Argent. Alright...” He goes on “I’m a neutral party, and I can make sure you both get what you want”

“You would negotiate a prisoner exchange? Why?” Cestus asks with suspicion.

“Well, I… ” he takes his hands off the table as another burger is placed in front of him. Edna has returned with your orders, placing plates in front of each of you.

Argent takes a bite of her own burger like the aggressive predator she is. 

Unbelievable.

“Right. As I was saying, I’m no longer working as a villain. Not after Sidestep ratted me out to the Special Directive and stole my Rat King” he says giving you an accusing glare. The Rat King squirms uncomfortably in both your minds.

“Rat King?” Chen asks puzzled.

“A story for another time Chen.” you say removing your own helm “One in which you and I are casual conversation speaking terms. So never.”

“Fair enough,” He says with a glacial tone.

“You will both participate in my Murder Games, winner takes all” Psycopathor finally explains.

“What?” you both ask.

“After my villain career went into the shitter thanks to Sidestep and the Special Directive, a group of my loyal fans has funded my new project”

“You mean the Monster Fuckers?” Argent asks. That’s what Psycopathor’s fans call themselves. 

“You would be surprised how many of them are high-class and rich” he smiles.

“What the hell are these games?” Cestus asks.

“Edna? Can you turn on the TV and put my VHS?”

"Of course, pumpkin darling"

Edna reappears, placing a videotape on the old VHS device and turning on the TV.

The screen shows Psycopathor, as a presenter, announcing battles in a large stage to a cheering audience. The combatants are heroes and villains.

“What the fuck am I looking at?” you ask.

“My Murder games” he explains, delighted to be the center of attention “Heroes and villains compete for a prize in teams. Winner takes all”

“What are the rules for this engagement?” Chen asks. Rules of engagement. Military terms always.

“No rules. If you win Chen, you can capture Retribution. Or kill him and splatter his brains all over the arena. The choice is yours. And you get Ortega Back. And the same thing for you Sidestep” He smiles, calling you by your old name, interchangeably. You can get your fancy tech armor, and you get to keep Ortega too for whatever it is you want him.“

"Why do you even want that piece of crap?” Chen asks looking at you.

Shit. You never expected the Rangers to know you wanted the Hourglass armor. This changes things.

“I..” You’re about to answer, but he speaks again.

“You know what? Don’t tell me. I don’t care.” He takes off his helm and looks at Psycopathor. “I agree to these terms, provided you are a bit clearer on the specifics.” His gaze turns back to you “I don’t care what you want it for, because I’m going to tear you apart on that stage, and you won’t get near it.”

Cestus looks between the two of you. “He still hasn’t agreed to…”

Chen is looking at you with that smug smile of his. He is daring you. He expects you’ll chicken out. He knows you’re leading a rebellion. You can’t gamble everything in a fistfight with him and his friends. He’s slowly activating his boosts. He’s going to start a fight when you refuse to play ball.

Except you have to. Without the Hourglass, your plans won’t ever work. Even if it means risking Ortega.

“I agree to the terms,” you say causing Cestus to choke on his fries.

Argent stares at you, burger in hand. Chen’s mind is in full meltdown, wondering what this means.

“Excellent then! I’ll contact both of you to tell you where and when. Expect news within three days.” Psycopathor seems over the moon. Insane freak. You’re not sure why is he in such a good mood. Maybe he’ll put a bomb to the stage to kill everyone, that's been his style in the past.

But you have to take the chance. You need the Hourglass. 

The rest of the dinner is awkward. At one point Argent asks for the salt which is on your side. The two of you glare at each other.

Cestus passes it to Chen, who gives it to her.

“So you’re the new boyfriend?” she asks him “No need to answer, I know. You should ask yourself when does he plan to betray you and break your bones. It’s what he does, you know?” she asks with a smile that shows all of her white teeth.

“I’m more than his boyfriend,” He says frowning at her. “We have a real past.”

“He and Charge had a real past too, didn’t you know?” she goes on

“It’s not the same. He’s a human oppressor, just like you! Cyrus only entered in search of the means to free us!”

“Maybe. But id’s still watch my back. He’s a conniving scumbag and will never change,” she adds.

Too close to home. 

“Where is Herald?” you ask changing the subject. “If he’s sick, maybe you can ask some OTHER second-rate hero to be on your team, you know?”

“Oh, he’ll be there” Argent answers. “He’ll be there to teach you a lesson” she speaks dryly. There’s something she knows that you don’t. You’re actually glad you asked.

Herald hasn’t been seen since you took Helios. You should investigate.

No fighting tonight. It seems you’ll have to save it for Psycopathor’s games.

————————————————

Cestus kisses you and tells you what a good job you did keeping your temper in check.

You groan as he starts the engine, driving you both back to the extraction point.

“I can’t believe you agreed to this though” he complains. “I don’t see how that armor is of any relevance and yet you’re risking it all”

“Just my neck, and those who want to fight with me. Also, I told you we need tech on our suits!” You lie.

“WE’ll do fine without it!”

“I got us this far, and I tell you we need it”

“It’s not worth it!”

You groan louder.

“You don’t get to be grumpy. You know I’m right”

He’s just like Ortega in that aspect. Thinking he knows best.

Unlike Ortega, he does know almost every detail of what you went through. And he never abandoned you or left you for dead. He had no choice in the matter.

In fact, you’re quite certain he would have taken your place if he could. His mind told you so back then, and it hasn’t changed despite the years.

You can’t help wonder if…

“What?” he asks with a smile

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“You’re staring into the distance. I know that look. You’re torturing yourself about something”

You can’t help a smile “You know me too well”

“I do,” he says rubbing your shoulder while handling the wheel with one hand. “We’ll figure a way to explain it to the others. Cellex will be fuming… Oh, wait! Maybe we can say this is a way to get all our enemies in one place?”

“That could actually work… ”

“We can say taking part in this game was my idea”

“Yeah… yes, let’s do that” you smile back at him. Cellex is more and more jealous lately. If it isn’t your idea he won’t immediately reject it.

You drive a few miles more before he speaks again

“And now what?” he asks again, catching you gazing onto the horizon once more.

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking You’re too good for me. That’s all”

“Of course I am you, idiot,” he says with a burst of soft laughter.

You smile, looking through the window.

He calls you an Idiot. You call Ortega an Idiot.

You betrayed Ortega. You wonder if you’ll live long enough to betray Cestus.

Maybe not.

Perhaps you’ll die in Psycopathor’s death-trap.

The insidious thought digs its way through your mind.

Still, thinking about it is strangely comforting, bringing a smile to your lips.

If you die, you won’t have to worry about any of this anymore.

There’s no other way to stop you now.

______________________________

My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original had some logic flaws, hopefully, fixed.


	4. Known Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worrying that his powers might not be enough to survive Psycopathor’s Murder Games, Cyrus goes on to look for help from his greatest enemy.

You run through the street as fast as you can. An energy blast destroys a dumpster next to you, garbage flying everywhere.

Turning at the right moment avoided the explosion, but also landed you in an alley. No escape.

Steel catches up. You try to feint and hit him from the left, but he’s even faster, sending you down with a kick.

You stand quickly, narrowly dodging the fist to the face, but his knee connects cleanly with your ribs.

A headbutt makes you see stars inside your helm as the warning lights go red.

Enough of this.

You extend your hand, sending the nanites onto him… but his armor seals up completely, hermetically closed.

The nanites surround him, but cannot penetrate. Magnetized material? Completely Indestructible to them.

He keeps advancing.

You attempt to stop him with your mind. His dampener is too strong. You fail.

His closed fist runs straight to your face when…

……………..

You wake up, covered in sweat.

“Hey… it’s ok” a familiar hand runs through your back. “You’re here. Nothing’s harming you”

It takes a few moments for you to come back to your senses.

You’re in bed. You’re not in danger.

And he’s trying to comfort you. His mind is full of concern for your well being.

“Ricardo?” you ask before you can think.

The lights turn on.

Cestus holds the lamps switch in one hand, glaring at you.

Fuck!

……………….

You walk through the corridor. It’s 3.40 AM.

Only emergency lights are on, you ordered some energy saving and it's bitting you in the butt as you keep running into everything in the way. It’s late -or early-, and only the night shift is working now.

You may not know where you’re going, but your feet do.

You’re in front of Ortega’s cell. The guards wonder if you’ll go inside once more.

You can’t help the smile.

Your wake self is already terrible enough to deal with, but it’s quite clear your subconscious is just a scared selfish little bitch.

You just hope Cestus’s not looking at security footage of you almost going straight back to Ortega. Most likely he is.

So you had a bad dream, got rattled and it's not Cestus you want but Ortega?. If he's watching it could not be clear enough, and no amount of mental meddling will fool him now.

No, you think. NO. You're not going to go for the old charge to comfort you. You've outgrown this shit. 

Walking past them, you keep going through the corridors.

Will he forgive you?

You don’t care anymore.

The nightmare was a wakeup call. You don't need someone to give you a hug and a pat in the back, it's never the way you worked anyways. What you need is to find creative solutions to your horrific problems. You need to do everything in your power to be ready. Can’t afford doubts, or weakness. Not with these stakes.

You take the security elevator, and instead of picking up a floor, you enter a code.

It goes down, way down below the lowest official level of the base.

To the labs.

You’re going to take part in Psycopathor’s insane game, and that's not even your greatest challenge to come. Being at your best isn’t enough. You need to go beyond that.

The elevator doors open, revealing a small waiting room and the second set of security doors.

Retinal scan. Fingerprints.

They open, revealing the enormous lab, with people still coming and going, working overtime. An infernal workshop of your own design. It never stops down here.

A pair of scientists working on a regene suffering from some sort of skin-related symptom freeze as you walk past them.

They still fear you.

Good, because these scientists still terrify you. That they are still alive is probably your gravest sin against your own kin.

The lab is full of captured and brainwashed scientists. All from the farm.

You couldn’t even admit to Ortega that you didn’t kill them. It’s hard enough admitting it to yourself. 

This was the one thing you and Cellex agreed on. They all had to die.

But the two of you were outvoted, by the arguments Cybra elaborated through screens.

They were too valuable, and the only ones who could treat the ailments the regene population suffered. You were both painfully wrong.

All over the lab, they are working overtime to fix regenes. Give them psychiatric treatment. Fix their failing organs, and keep them alive. Gene therapy. Growing entire new limbs. Prevent their powers from firing off uncontrollably.

On the distant end, are the growing vats, with your new army already starting to form. 

You could make them all tear their own faces, It would be easy but then the Uprising would slowly start to fade away.

You walk past them. 

All the cameras around the building turn and focus on you, as several screens glow in bright green light in recognition. Cybra is watching. Her consciousness spends most of her time possessing the tech down here, keeping the scientists In a state of perpetual terror. She's become really sadistic when it comes to them, and you can't really blame them. THat's why she wanted them alive in the first place, asides from their other logical uses. 

You nod slightly to the screens and keep walking to the central office. You're not here to visit your sister.

The nightmare wasn’t irrational, and a familiar face isn’t what you need.

You’re afraid Steel is going to destroy you and splatter your brain on the arena just like Psycopathor described. He knows what you’re capable off, so he must have thought of some countermeasures. What you need is a way to gain even more power, to come out on top.

And there’s only one person that can help you.

You came to see the worst monster you’ve ever known in your lifespan.

——————————————————-

She’s working on a 3d helix diagram as you come in. Smoke on her hand, as she uses the mouse to switch molecules around with the mouse.

It takes a few moments for her to realize you’re there.

She turns the spinning chair, surprised. And then she gives you a bright smile that chills you to the bones.

And then she stands walking up to you... extends a hand... caress your cheek... It makes you want to throw up.

“Welcome back my child”

“I’m.. not your child” you say slowly.

It’s a struggle not to run away in panic.

“But you are. All of you are. And you…” she adds poking your chest with her index “… you are my greatest creation. You and your sister..." The lights of the room flicker a bit. "Oh, there she is saying hi!" she grins. "Same genetic material... The most amazing boosts!”

You want nothing more than to stab her black heart. But you need her.

You had to be subtle to make her work for the uprising. Make her think she’s still in the farm’s lab, with some budget cuts. Make her think that she's some sort of mother-figure to you and Cybra. And she lives off that... her punishment. To be what she always despised. Some part of her knows what's going on, but you trapped it deep under her subconscious, able to watch but not to steer off course. 

“It’s good that you’ve returned to us” she goes on.

For a moment the room seems to spin, and you feel, you know, you’re back at old labs, restrained and screaming, being dragged for another session with her. Regina. The butcher. The Devil. The master of ceremony in the circus of torture. The Director, of the Special Directive. 

And then the feeling fades, and your legs stop trembling.

This is not the past. This is now. You and Cybra are in control.

“I… need to be stronger” you manage to say.

“Ohhh interesting. Stronger how?”

“A special op is coming up. And … we expect heavy boosted and modded resistance.”

“Well finally a good challenge! Creating more and more gene warriors gets boring you know, and everyone's so jumpy down here. I think they don't like your sister really... Hmm... Well come in, let me show you what we've been working on! There are several things I wanted to try before you left us!”

She is delighted, opening some files on her computer, and showing you the procedure. 

It’s terrifying just how natural and rational it all seems from this point of view. Talking about complex modifications that can ruin lives and minds over a simple smoke.

“When can we begin?” you ask, wondering if you can really stomach going through with this. Handing yourself over to this madwoman once more.

But you know you must. It’s the only way to set things right, once and for all.

"Do what you have to do little brother". The words write themselves on a screen while she isn't watching, before being quickly erased.   
Now Cybra decides to talk...   
Of course, I will, Sis you send the thoughts directly to her mind.

As usual, there is no further response. 

_____________________________

My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added some more presence to Cybra in this version.


	5. Murder Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After enhancing his powers, Cyrus joins Psycopathor’s games, hoping to defeat the rangers and gain the piece of technology he needs. But Psycopathor has something up his sleeve, as usual.

Pushing people away is harder, both physically and mentally.

Their thoughts are so loud… It almost hurts. Voices in your mind, speaking of things you know nothing about. 

Your shields are weaker. Regina explained it. Shields are necessary to protect others from your powers as much as to protect others from your own mind.  
Her procedure increased your mind’s signal strength, but your shields get weaker in turn since they can't hold you as well. She said it would take time to adjust, that you should wait... but you've got no time for that. 

You stumble as your brain sends you into a flashback, of her machines working on you. All you could think of was to break free, escape.. Get out… But Cybra came through the door, her gaze fixed on you, reminding you of what was at stake.

You had to go through with it. Regina was just doing what you asked. It was you in control, not her. 

The thought was strangely comforting as you sank deeper into her manipulations. Let her slowly tear you apart into a screaming mess… willingly. 

"Are you ok boss?" the hulking woman says helping you. You nod lightly, and follow her. 

You feel drunk. Like you’re not yourself anymore. 

Humans. They all look so insignificant… so meaningless… you could just…

No. Do not get distracted!

You raise what’s left of your shields and take some painkillers from your pocket to stop the headache. That’ll have to do for now.

The crowd is huge. A long drive out of town, then a dangerous stroll through the ruins, and you’re here.

Apocalyptica Fest.

You heard about it but never visited yourself. Ortega and Anathema did a few times and told you it was an experience.

They weren’t exaggerating.

Doom Cults celebrating the anniversary of the destruction caused by the big one, all gathered together for their anual convention.

Obscure subcultures, on full display, criminals, selling drugs pecially hero-drugs freely without meddling police.

Several bands are playing in the “Infernal party" area.

THere’s no formal announcement for Psycopathor, he’s not that careless. But you can see the monster-fuckers wearing his memorabilia wherever you look.

They’re here for the Murder games.

You’re all wearing dark outfits with hoods, hiding your costumes. No masks yet.

Cybra and Aegis are your team. You wish Cestus was here, but he disappeared somewhere into the base after the stunt you pulled and hasn't been answering any messages. He’s too angry for you to manipulate. Cellex and the others voted against it, so you're on your own.

Still, you and Cybra and Aegis are probably the three heaviest hitters on your side. And Aegis has a history of being almost undefeated against other powered individuals.

She will handle Steel if it comes to it. Your powers... well you're certainly much stronger humans having a soft headache around you now, that's. Aegis complained a bit about it but told you her mind-defense training would hold.

You smile. Good for her because you’ve got no way to stop it.

Regina told you she’s not done. She’s preparing to go all the way next time, once you’re ready. If you dare. 

She said you’re not a Cuckoo anymore. You’re way beyond infiltration. You’re a weapon now.

Cybra points at a large tent in the distance.

The Monster-fucker stand. It’s huge You’re told to wait there.

“Right. Let’s go” you say.

……………………………………………………….

Two pints of beer and one Apocalypse Sandwich later, Psycopathor makes his entrance from the back, in full costume.

You’ve already spotted the rangers, wearing equally concealing outfits, on the other side of the closed tent. Herald is there.

It’s hard to read his thoughts around the crowd. But he seems to be all over the place.

Psycopathor gives a signal, and the Monster-Fucker tent collapses, revealing a huge stage.

Fireworks fly off, making everyone turn to look in his direction.

A tall woman takes a mic, standing center stage, lights focusing on her.

WELCOME, TO THE OPENING OF OUR MURDER GAMES! LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN AND EVERYONE CAUGHT IN BETWEEN! I GIVE YOU….“ Drumrolls start somewhere "PSYCOPATHOR!”

The presenter moves out of the spotlight, letting the tall figure take the mic. He’s added some decorated with skulls to his shoulder pads. They look so real you have to wonder where he got them. 

He isn’t wearing his largest skull helm, but he has “Dia de Los Muertos” makeup this time. Nice detail.

He looks badass, you have to admit. How will your own suit, slender and tall measure up?

“WELCOME! Heroes! Villains!” He starts, sections of the crowd cheering as he mentions them.

“MONSTER FUCKERS!” he adds, addressing a small sector of people dressed elegantly and wearing masks, taking seats in the spot with the best view of the stage.

“AND EVERYONE FUCKING ELSE!” Now everyone cheers. “THIS IS THE EVENT OF THE YEAR, THAT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING SINCE BEFORE YOU WERE BORN!” Ok, maybe that’s exaggerating a bit.

“TONIGHT, I’VE ARRANGED MURDER GAMES LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” He goes on 

"DO YOU WANT TO SEE BLOOD? DO YOU WANT TO SEE DEATH? DO YOU WANT TO SEE POWERED MAYHEM??" The crowd explodes at each question. 

“ALRIGHT, SINCE YOU ASK FOR IT, LET US PRESENT OUR CONTESTANTS”

A large screen lighted up behind him.

“LEADING THE HEROES TEAM, A MAN WHO’S GOT MORE METAL THAN FLESH! THE UNFLOORABLE MARSHALL STEEL!”

The screen goes on a trailer of Steel fighting various enemies. At one point you can’t help but smile seeing him kick Psycopathor himself out of a building’s window.

Steel himself walks on the stage, as the crowd cheers… some of them boo as well. He isn’t clapping, and he hates every moment of this. And the crowd knows, and that makes them cheer and boo even harder. Typical Chen.

“SECOND. OUR KILLER LADY EVERYONE LOVES! A RANGER WHO ALWAYS GETS HER MAN, DEAD OR ALIVE, BUT LET’s BE HONEST, SHE GENERALLY BRINGS COFFINS AS OF LATE… LADY ARGENT!”

Another trailer. Argent stabbing enemies… And then she’s fighting you, atop the heights of that bridge her claws and your fists moving almost faster than the camera can follow.

That footage never ceases to amaze you, that you could keep up against her.

She walks to the stage with a bright smile. Someone screams for her to have his babies. Usual stuff. She isn’t always close to her fans, but she loves to have them in this sickening gladiatorial setting. Reminds everyone she’s the real thing.

“THIRD! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? IS IT AN UNDERWEAR MODEL, OR A HERO?! OH WAIT IT’S BOTH! MAKE NOISE FOR… HERALD!”

Herald’s trailer makes people lose it. The crowd goes insane as he walks on the stage… No smile. No bow to the crowd… He turns and gives you the coldest murderous glare you’ve seen in some time.

His mind is different. Cold. Focused. And that’s not all. He’s been under some sort of… change. Argent and Chen feel it too. Chen is… concerned? Herald must have unlocked some new power. And he thinks he can destroy you with it.

You clap for him, which only infuriates him more.

“Come at me with everything you got Daniel” you speak to his mind, without words “I fear no one”.

To your surprise, the whole crowd turns around. Wow. You wanted only Daniel to hear it, but apparently half the audience did. Regina knows her stuff, for better or worse.

The outburst of rage within his mind is phenomenal. For a moment you think he’s going to glide for your throat right there… but then he controls himself and gives the crowd the smile and bow they’ve been waiting for. 

So… a transformed Herald… What’s next?

“AND NOW… LET US PRESENT… THE POD PEOPLE TEAM!” You smile at that. Pod people isn’t the worst thing they’re calling you these days, and it’s actually accurate, you all come from large tubes.

“THE MASTER MINDFUCKER HIMSELF, THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS RANDOM DESTRUCTION… ” He begins. You start to stand, trying to make sure your short cape looks presentable.

“RETRIBUTION” he goes on, the spotlight following you as you come down to the stage. A trailer begins, showing you fight all of the rangers, and many, many other heroes. And it ends with you on giants screens threatening the populace, and the Helios blowing up the City Hall with its lasers as your laughter goes over the loudspeakers.

Shit. How is he so much better at these trailers than you could ever be? Psycopathor’s already bested you twice today.

You stand on a threatening pose. There is overwhelming booing from the audience. But a lot of cheers too.

This baffles you. Of course, many of the people in the audience are anarchists with anty-system views. But many of them just came for the show. Why are they still cheering?

You’ve been preventing casualties, that’s why. They still don’t get where your rebellion is heading for… What awaits them if you get your way.

They still think you’re going to be old news in a few years.

You just smile behind your helm. Too much irony. You pose. You threaten the ones booing at you. You bow to the fans that start cheering on a corner.

Let them have this because it's not going to last.

Your mind begins considering what’s next, as the announcements go for the rest of your team.

Aegis. She’s probably the strongest single combatant at close quarters. She’s ideal for this match. And Cybra. She might be vulnerable in your mind, but there’s no escaping the fact that she’s one of the deadliest members of your rebellion. Being a full techno-mancing cyborg has its own perks. 

“Now let us announce our WONDERFUL PRIZES”

The woman comes back, with a second mic.

“The prizes for these Murder Games are….”

The displays change to show the tacky Hourglass armor. You know you’re not good with style choices, but that thing is just hideous.

“The Hourglass Armor! Designed by the Time-Bender, it can freeze anyone in a large radius for a whole minute!”

It does seem like a second-rate trinket given your powers. You smile. Good. Let them think it's just a joke.

“And the second prize… Giving a new definition to the damsel in distress… The man everyone wants to rescue…It’s Los Diablos’s beloved hero… CHARGE!”

He is shown spread-eagled, in full costume, arms and legs restrained by a strengthened plastic device. Psycopathor made some cuts on his costume to give him a “Beaten and recently captured look”.

He is struggling with the restraints, like the drama king he is. You wonder if he knows he’s being watched. He probably does, the idiot.

The crowd loses it, cheering. You close your eyes, trying to hold your weak shields together. It’s deafening.

Someone squeezes your hand.

Cybra?

You look at her. She’s expressionless as usual. But she knows what’s going on. It’s so hard to tell with her. You can’t rely on scanning her mind, and she has no body-language or speech that you can study.

After announcing they’ll be having a lottery for everyone attending and where to buy tickets, she hands the Mic to Psycopathor again.

About time.

“ALRIGHT. FIRST RULE OF THE MURDER GAMES! NO OUTSIDE HELP! IF ANYONE HELPS YOU, YOU’RE DISQUALIFIED. ”

“SECOND RULE…. PUT ON A FUCKING SHOW! DONT MAKE ME LOOK BAD, YOU FUCKERS!”

“THAT’S ALL FOR THE RULES. NOW THE GOAL OF THE GAME…”

“FOR YEARS MY MONSTER FUCKERS HAVE BEEN DEMANDING THIS, AND NOW, FINALLY, AGAINST ALL ODDS I’M DELIVERING! THE TARGET OF THESE MURDER GAMES… IS NO OTHER THAN LOS DIABLOS’S VERY OWN… “

“CATASTROFIEND!!!!!!”

A final trailer begins, as your jaw drops to the floor.

Catastrofiend during the Phoenix Massacre. Catastrofiend during the West Covina battle.

Catastrofiend during the Beverly Hills Rampage. It goes on and on. Santa Monica. Santa Clarita. Destroying the Zoo. Catastrofiend killing Whirlwind. Catastrofiend beheading Sunstroke. Catastrofiend stabbing Mantis. Catastrofiend slashing Ortega, as you shoot him and drag both of you away. And then there are the movie posters. “A nightmare on the 13th”. I… II… III… He’s the original slasher villain after all.

Fuck.

The trailer ends with Catastrofiend’s broken voice roaring with that insect chirp he does, chilling your bones.

“I GOT THE CATASTROFIEND CAPTURED FOR YOU MONSTER FUCKERS!” He yells. “I DID IT! AND WE ARE GOING TO RELEASE IT TONIGHT, JUST FOR THESE MURDER GAMES!”

Steel is discussing with his team. He steps up.

“You never said you would endanger civilians!!”

“OH? WELL I THOUGHT YOU KNEW ME ALREADY MARSHALL! BUT RELAX... NO ONE SHOULD BE IN DANGER… IF YOU WIN THESE GAMES, THAT IS! “

“THE TARGET OF THESE MURDER GAMES IS CATASTROFIEND! FIRST TEAM TO TAKE IT’S HEAD AND BRING IT HERE TO ME GETS EVERYTHING! THE NEWS WILL PROVIDE FOOTAGE OF IT ALL, AND WE’LL BE HERE, SHOWING IT LIVE ON THESE WONDERFUL SCREENS!”

“THE MONSTER IS BEING RELEASED IN 5 MINUTES, AT THE LOCATION! ON SCREEN! IF YOU HAVE ANY LOVED ONES, MONSTER FUCKERS, NOW’S THE TIME TO TELL THEM TO GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

Many on the crowd take out their cellphones. Others just cheer. A 3d projector shows up a map.

Cybra’s eyes flicker as she records it and calculates the fastest route.

Steel looks like he wants to complain some more.

You and your team run off the stage without a word. You and Cybra each take one of Aegis’ hands, and activate your jump-thrusters, carrying her upwards and gliding over the crowd. 

No time to waste.

“LET THE GAMES BEGIN!” He goes on in the distance. “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?” he asks. 

Fucking Psycopathor you think looking down.

______________________________

My Fanfiction: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.


	6. Psycoathor's Murder Games part 2

“DODGE!” You yell at Cybra.

Cybra steers to the side, receiving Argent with her claws extended as they clash above the mechanical stair.

It’s hypnotic, watching them fight. Cybra counters every move, before taking hold of her wrist and slamming her onto the floor, hard enough to crack the marble. It doesn't take long for Argent to respond by sweeping her off her feet with her legs, the two breaking into a series of slashes, Argent's claws against Cybra's electro-sword.

You can’t stop to see who wins. You have to keep running if you want to catch up.

Catstrofiend roars in the distance.

The Monster Fuckers let it out at the garage. There was at least some poetic justice since it managed to catch two of them and shred them to pieces as they tried to escape from the opening cage. 

The early warning got some people evacuated, but 5 minutes isn’t a lot of time and there's a lot who didn't make it. 

The fiend's already killed 11 civilians -that you know off- and by the sound of it, that number’s about to go up sharply.

Turning around the corner, you see a clothing store being torn to rubble as Steel comes flying through its window. Customers run towards the exit in the other direction.

Catastrofiend advances onwards to kill him, but Aegis collides with him from the side, surrounded by her energy shield. She releases it at the moment of impact, the energy explosion strong enough to send it reeling to the left.

She raises her weapon -an axe of all things- and slashes for one of the legs of the fallen beast, but the monster blocks with one of its claws.

It jumps at her, all claws to her face, Aegis holding her stance raising the familiar green shield once more, deflecting each hit. Noticing it's not doing much damage, the beast lifts the energy sphere with Argent inside, tossing her to the side. Shit, Argent's never seen this thing in battle before and wasn't ready. 

Catastrofiend has regenerated. It isn’t weak like when you and Argent fought it. 

It turns to you and jumps. But unlike Aegis, you have seen it many times before. You step to the side, generating a dozen illusions of yourself, attacking from all sides.

It was never fooled before, but it’s working perfectly now. You can sense it's confusion as your armored fists take it by surprise, his claws reacting to threats that aren't there. 

Four solid hits with your thrusters before he takes down the last of your fake selves.

But you can just do it again… You just need to…

Fall?

You fall to the ground on your back, as Catastrofiend tears the very floor apart with its claws, literally pulling the rug from under your feet. Only it isn’t a rug, it’s concrete and cement. It raises his claws. 

Aegis and Steel stand to your left and right as you stand up.

“Truce?” Aegis says

“Truce” Steel concedes.

They charge from both sides as you send a shockwave of pain into its cortex, making it howl in anger.

“Y.yooOooouuuU wWiIlll dDIiIEeEeE!!!” It says, counters attacking… faster than you thought possible.

He dodges Aegis, elbowing her into the distance. He then picks up steel with two of his blade arms and throws him in your direction, the both of you down once more.

Fuck. It rages triumphantly, walking over to finish the two of you... until it stops in its tracks, looking down. Its legs are not touching the floor.

It wiggles, but to no avail.

As it raises, Herald is revealed behind it, holding out his palm.

Gravity control. Whatever remains of the Special Directive must have sent a specialist to speed up his developing powers.

They experimented on him. Just like they do on everyone else.

Catastrofiend crashes onto the ceiling, then back onto the floor, as Herald keeps inverting gravity.

“Keep it down!” Steel says.

Aegis draws her axe.

Catastrofiend roars one last time and…

The axe goes down, so swift and brutal the ground itself trembles.

The roars dies. Blood everywhere, and Catastrofiend’s body, contorts several times before laying down motionless.

“It’s over,” Steel says decisively.

“No, darling. It just began” Aegis replies, swinging once more, at him this time.

He glares at her stoically, stopping the axe between his palms, Aegis' eyes widening... before connecting a kick with his chest freeing the weapon and preparing for another swing.

You gaze returns to the Catastrofiend. It’s head i’s nearly severed, yes, but you know better. Already you can see strands of tissue are extending from it, back onto its neck. Pulling it closer and closer.

It’s not dead…

“IT’S NOT DEAD!” you yell “It’s going to…”

Too late you focus on Herald, as he charges and rams his fist onto your armor at full speed. The strength is enough to send you flying through a jewelry store’s window, exhibits flying everywhere.

He lands inf front of you extending his hands once more, causing everything in the store to start floating including you.

“You are going to pay!” He speaks furiously.

Oh shit. You really hurt him and he's going to exact just revenge.

You fall down, crushed forcefully against the floor, making your entire body hurt.

"Having fun, Daniel?" you grin, taking off your mask. The mask won't protect you as much as him losing his cool. "That was almost passable"

"I've learned new tricks!" he says coming at you, faster than ever. You dodge each strike, before taking his arm and entangling him in a judo throw, sending him against a wall... 

Only that the wall becomes the ground for him, letting him bounce with a fist connecting on your gut. Shit.

You take a few steps backward, as he advances.

"Tricks won't be enough to stop me"

"I'll do what I must. I won't let you kill anyone else"

"Good. Because I'm going to do everything in my power to defend my kind from yours." you lie "You will not enslave us again!" 

"Enslave you? We're just defending ourselves!"

"Is that what you tell yourself? That we're the monsters? It was Your people who created us! We're fighting for our right to exist!"

“T.. there were other ways! You could have trusted me!"

"You are only human Daniel. I could never have trusted you"

"Gods is that how you think? There were other ways! You were a hero... You were my hero! I loved you!" 

"Love.... " you smile bitterly. "You think love could have fixed anything? That caring for me would mean anything? What If I had loved you back, Daniel? Would you have joined our rebellion?."

“I…” he starts. You already know the answer is no, but the brief hesitation is the only thing you need to stretch your mind and test your new powers and slither into his mind.

*************************

He’s no longer in the store. He’s back at home. With his brother.

And his sibling is dying. The hero drugs are killing him. It’s all happening again, vividly.

“Daniel” he coughs weakly “I’m sorry”

“Wh.. what? Brother?” He can’t help it. He can’t let him die. Not again. Not again

He would do anything to save him. Even trade places with him. He wishes he could save him.

More than anything.

“Save me…” he begs.

Daniel takes his hand.

And then the impossible happens.

The wish is granted. It’s Daniel whos dying instead. And his brother is safe.

“Daniel… thank you…” he says. And then he stands. And walks away into the darkness.

And then young Daniel is alone. Suffering. The drugs are killing him. He’s the one who will die now. 

But he saved him. He did it. No longer guilty. No longer the lone survivor.

It’s a blissful sensation.

He’s a hero. He’s kept his promise.

And he’s…

“No. This is a lie! It’s not true! I know I can’t change it!” He screams

And everything around him turns to shattered glass.

*******************************

You haven’t managed to fully stand before Herald breaks from the trance you put him in. Fuck. 

“YOU WON’T FOOL ME AGAIN!” He says lifting you with his powers once more

“Almost had you!” you cackle in pain. 

“You taught me well,” he says, moving closer.

“That was a mistake, clearly” your smile is cruel. There is no love. "IT was all an act, Herald. I used you. Do your worst, if you dare"

You struggle a bit, but it’s pointless. You’ll have to wait for the right moment.

His fist connects fully, taking off your helm, which flies away.

“Why me?” he asks, as blood falls from your nose. And he hits you again. 

You can’t help the grin from your face. This doesn’t feel real. Nothing feels real since you let that witch Regina touch you again.

But you can answer his question.

“Because I’m selfish. And you’re perfect. You’re someone I could never be. And I couldn’t resist. I wanted to know how it felt”

“I’ll show you how it feels!” he says, punching your guts.

It hurts a lot. He strikes you, again, and again. You spit blood.

Crap. Maybe you really shouldn’t have fucked him. You really should have known better... but his expression of pure hatred... you can't help but laugh at him. That's your handiwork... another broken ranger. 

You’ve created a whole new nemesis for you.

He prepares for another swing… good. Now’s the time.

You activate your thrusters at full speed, taking him with you for the ride.

An ungraceful spin around the floor and you send him rolling beyond the rail, falling down and knocking several tables off the central food court downstairs.

For a brief moment, he stays down, then all the tables start floating. His arms extended upwards give you the clear impression he’s about to throw them all at you. 

Then Cybra leaps onto him, getting hold of his right leg. They both spin awkwardly in the air for a moment in which gravity is suspended... Herald keeps turning it, trying to release himself, but Cybra's logical brain can compensate for gravity changes faster than HErald can manage them. He doesn't get her to release him, and instead, she causes both of them to spin faster and faster... until she finally lets go.   
Daniel is projected like a bullet bouncing over the food court until he hits the far wall 

Effortlessly, she jumps up to your location, landing nearby and helping you up. 

No trace of were Argent is.

“Catastrofiend is regenerating! We have to…”

And then she’s swept away.

The monster is standing again, the cut on its neck almost completely regenerated.

It raises both blades and prepares to cut you down.

The only way ahead is trough. The ultimate test for your powers.

You feel yourself leaving your body, and entering your opponent’s skull.

**********************

PAIN! Unrelenting pain and Anger! Everyone must die… you must survive. The Rangers, the rebels, everyone must be destroyed! You have to smear the walls with their blood!

“NO! Thes are not my thoughts!” You scream. But the voice isn’t yours, it’s the Catastrofiend’s broken speech.

You extend your blades, and fall to the side, your legs moving uncontrollably.

This is the worst mind you’ve ever encountered yet.

“BE QUIET!” you shout with all your strength. You can barely contain the hell and brimstone in his thoughts.

It’s far too much. You can see your real body, straining to keep this up. It won't relent.

You have to trick it.

Make it think your thoughts are his own.

You feel your grasp on reality fading.

The thing is far too insane. The pressure is tearing you apart… Your thoughts cannot match the ones in it's brain. 

Unless... unless you give it a taste of your own brand of crazy. Let it experience the memories of Heartbreak.

It works.. distracting it.

You manage to say something to Cybra, with the fiend’s horrendous lips. She understands what’s going on.

The thing is too insane. There are so many scars in its mind, and you can feel burning inside your own. If you stay here long enough, you’re going to lose yourself.

You turn, looking at Daniel. Catastrofiend wants to kill him. It wants to taste his blood… break his limbs.

And so do you, as your thoughts become one.

Daniel is the first to fall. Steel puts up a great fight, but cannot stop you in the end, as Cybra turns off his mods with her hacking skills.

Argent manages to stand for far longer than you anticipated, but ultimately Aegis knocks her through a window and off the building, several stories down.

You make the Catastrofiend kneel. It howls in protest, but you keep it in place.

Its mind is a complete nightmare, one you can’t afford to wake up from.

You have a secret weapon though. You burn and brand it's cortex as wildfire, causing you/it to howl in pain.

You have control. Pain is control. Silence is power. 

You sap its will to live... make it clear that everything would be better if it simply let it'self go off this world. Infect it's brain with sweet words of despair. 

Aegis lifts her axe over your/it’s neck once more. Cybra’s arms keep it/you down.

You/it wants to die. You/it are a monster. You/it has no place in this world. No reason to go on. You/it, finally surrender and let go.

And the axe goes down once more.

You feel empty, as you return to your body. 

Catastrofiend dies, at last, the new fresh scars it passed on burning in your mind. You died. You died but you’re still alive. Not done yet.

You don’t even ask yourself if the rangers died or not. All you can think of is the next stage.

Take the head to PSycopathor. Claim your prize. Set things right. Destroy anyone who gets in the way.

The thoughts of panicked humans in your head as you make it to your extraction point are much worse now. Your shields are non-existent, and even after the thing died, you can still feel its thoughts in your brain.

All you/it wants are for all those humans to shut up. 

Your thoughts go blurry, as your companions sit you down at the back of your vehicle, driving you away. 

You're exhausted... you close your eyes, slipping deep int unconsciousness... deep into...

…………………………………….

“AND THE WINNER IS… RETRIBUTION!” Psycopathor announces, while the crowd cheers. “THEY WILL BE HERE ANY MOMENT, FOR THEIR SPOILS!”

Down below them inside an underground ruin, Ortega curses. There’s no way out. Most of his mods have been deactivated, and the contraption he’s caught it won’t budge.

The guard isn’t even paying attention, focused on the camera feed.

The door slides open. Another guard.

“I’m here to replace you,” he says. “They need you upstairs”

“About time,” he says, walking out without a second thought.

As soon as the door slides closed, the guard removes his helmet.

“EDEN?!” Ortega asks, surprised.

“Hey, Mr. Hero guy! That’s me. I come to rescue you.

"I’m not sure how to open this thing”

“That won’t be necessary. I’ve got a better plan. Hold on… it’s going to be a bumpy ride” And he extracts a small bizarre-looking gun, pointing it at Ortega.

He doesn’t even get to complain before the energy beam makes him banish completely.

Eden puts the gun back in his hidden pocket and covers his face once more with the helm.

A short peek through the door, and he walks through the corridor once more, as if nothing had happened.

My Fanfics: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero  
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DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betraying everyone he ever knew, Cyrus visits Regina one last time, and then steals the rebel’s airship, as he sets up the final stage of his masterplan. Charge rushes in an attempt to stop him before the countdown ends. 
> 
> Warning, major character death (s?)!

You bark orders at the gene-warriors.

It’s hard to tell if you’re speaking to their brains or to their ears. It all seems the same right now.

You need them to make for the final preparations. You're so close now, you can almost taste it. Only a few more stops... Mortum's lab now is next. 

You look at the medical tubes still attached to your body... you know you should feel an impulse to pull them off, but you can't even feel your skin anymore. There are no more barriers between you and others, and so your skin is meaningless.

Regina completed her procedure. You are what you were always meant to be.

You look at your bloodstained fingers for a moment as you reach the door. Regina's blood.

The door opens, the warriors storming the lab as you walk inside. 

Mind-controlling Mortum was never something you wanted to do before. You would have killed his creativity with your inferior telepathy in the past. Not anymore.

But you don’t care anymore. You needed him to set up the device, and he wasn't being fast enough. So you pushed him as hard as you could, opening and expanding his mind in ways it should have never experienced. The result was fantastic.

The intercom on your wrist beeps. Cellex and Cestus want to see you. You reject the call. 

Can’t afford to have them see you in this condition.

"Is the device ready, doctor?"

He is sitting on his chair, embracing himself, rocking back and forth. The device in front of him seems finished, and the Hourglass armor with the failed prototype is on the floor. He doesn't respond.

"I need an answer, doctor" your mind extending tendrils to exert pressure into his mind. 

He gasps for air as if you were chocking him, which isn't too far from the truth. 

"Y.. yes! Yes! It's done! It should work. I swear it'll work. It'll work... I know it will..."

He keeps repeating the same words, his hands shaking until you finally release him. 

"Good. Warriors, bring the prototype and the Hourglass with us" you order. "And bring Dr. Mortum too... In case we need him" you add.

The warriors take him by the arms, as he starts whimpering. 

You turn and walk down the corridor, turning to your intercom to call Cybra.

"Sister, the time is now" you speak the words she's been waiting to hear for so many years. 

————————————————

Charge materializes once more. Confused. Exhausted. Eden puts the teleporter gun back in his pocket.

He’s lying on the floor. And Eden is all over him… messing with his mods.

“What… is going on?” he struggles trying to push him away.

“No time to explain,” Eden says. “I’m reactivating your mods, Mortum told me how. Behind you is an access point that will take you inside the airship. You need to go inside and hide until it’s in the air. And then, you have to stop Retribution!”

“W… how?”

“I don’t know, you’re the hero. Figure something out. He’s activating the Hourglass tech, and Mortum says that thing is unstable It will cause a paradox and destroy us all.”

“What?”

“No time! GO NOW!”

He’s not kidding. The whole place seems to start vibrating. Ortega and runs forward. He’ll have to make sense of it all later.

As he leaves, Eden looks into a mirror on the wall, at the device attached to his neck. The machine could replicate Retribution's signal for a time after he left his body... but it would not last forever. He only has a few hours before he descended back into unconsciousness. He could only hope he had done enough...

——————————————————-

“CYRUS! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Cellex is furious in the monitor. “TURN THE SHIP AROUND NOW!”

“I’m sorry Cellex,” You say. “But I won’t do that”

“You’re heading into Los Diablos! WHY?”

“Because that’s where I need to be. I have to go home”

“THIS IS YOUR FUCKING HOME! YOU STARTED THIS REBELLION FOR ALL OF US!”

"It worked quite fine for me up to now. I’ve got everything I've ever needed” you smile drowsily. The meds are still in your system, as is Regina’s blood on your fingers It felt good to choke her... she smiled blissfully as you released her. 

“NO. RETURN RIGHT NOW!”

“I don’t need you Cellex. I don’t need any of you… You were too narrow-minded to accept my plans, so I had to work around you. Do you really think this would have worked? There's no scenario in which the uprising triumphs.”

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO CYBRA? WHY DID YOU KILL EVERYONE AT THE LABS?”

“I did nothing to Cybra… she helped me plan this. She is the one who suffered the most after all. Regina had it coming for a long time... Better she die now than the government rescue after they put you all down.” you say. Are you meaning everything you say ? It’s hard to tell right now. Your mind isn’t in the right place.

Cybra is running the ship by herself. She’s the only one who could do it. She seems changed... there are some hints of weak emotions coming from her. Joy. Freedom. Excitement... And looming over them all an overwhelming and intense hatred. Hatred for all things human.

“Make some fucking sense for once! What do you think you’ll achieve?”

“I’m going to use the Hourglass to make everything right”

“Fuck that piece of crap. We’re going to follow you!”

“Try to chase me, and I’ll fry you alive Cellex. I control the lasers after all.” you laugh heartily. This is all a game, one that you've won. "You look so stupid right now." 

“You fucking double-crossing piece of …”

“Tell Cestus I’m sorry? I should have done things differently but giving him what he wanted seemed just the right thing to do. For me at least. I wish he hadn't been so naive… Guess he never really knew me at all” you say with a sardonic grin. Cestus. Should you feel bad? It’s hard to feel anything right now. You know you should feel sorry about this. But you don’t. None of them truly matters in the end.

Cellex keeps cursing at you.

You cut off the link. You’re not a good team-player after all. Better break off and go solo. 

——————————————————–

Helios seemed to materialize out of thin air atop the city skyline.

The cloaking device deactivates rapidly, the ship casting an ominous shadow.

People gaze upwards, as it passes above the buildings.

And then straight lines of turquoise light come down from it, in all directions, extending towards the buildings.

For a few seconds, nothing happens.

And then all hell broke loose.

Shockwaves and explosion as the buildings caught fire, a torrent of shattered glass falling onto the pedestrians below. People screaming and running... but there is nowhere to go. 

The ambulance sirens are silenced by the next salvo of turquoise death, as Helios begins setting the whole city ablaze.

………………………………………………….

“SHUT UP!” you yell as you stumble “KEEP FIRING! SHUT THEM ALL UP!”

You can’t help it. Their thoughts are so fucking loud. And you need to be at your strongest to succeed. 

Cybra remains hooked to the controller, activating the lasers again, and again, and again. The screens don't show the military professional displays, but they look like old computer games, and counters are going off as the buildings topple down. She's playing a video-game... scoring one point for each casualty, and 100 for each building, sound effects of coins clinking each time she scores. The grin in her face has transcended her limitations. It's quite the surprise really... all her emotions were made hollow and washed down by the surgeries, but her hatred for humankind is pure, genuine and absolute. 

This is her moment. Your sister will silence their harmful thoughts for you. 

The solar panels all over Helios turn towards the Sun, attempting to squeeze even more energy into the lasers.

Like ants burning under a looking glass.

The two main laser cannons fire off onto a large tower, drawing an X on its center, Cybra savoring her artwork for a few moments before. It explodes violently, crumbling down in pieces, generating a gigantic dust ball.

The Hourglass armor is lying all over the floor of the bridge, but it doesn't seem you'll need it after all.. 

Mortum’s device is now in front of you, charging up.

Mortum himself is on the chair to your left, unconscious.

It's only a matter of minutes before it activates.

You wipe sweat from your forehead.

The humans below and their panicked thoughts are everywhere, but Cybra is nothing but thorough in her homicidal frenzy. Their minds are literally dying down, or fleeing if they are lucky to evade Cybra's wrath. .

You manage to recover some of your calm, as many voices go silent in the distance.

“Time?” you order Cybra.

The screens are replaced with the actual time left for activation. 7 minutes.

Your radar shows up a massive number of jet fighters. The air force’s arrival time ETA is about 15 minutes.

They’ll be too late. Nothing will matter by the time they destroy Helios.

You won. It makes you laugh, a dry sound, that you don't recognize. 

You’re finally going to set things right.

You…

The bridge’s door explodes in electrical sparks, and flies over the room, bouncing and cracking one of the panels of the large glass viewing glass. You can feel the chilling wind outside coming trough.

A figure stands on the other side. Covered in electrical arches.

“Ricardo?” You smile. “I did not expect you here after your escape! Give him a warm welcome, warriors" you order

A pair of Gene Warriors working the council charge at him, but he dismisses them with a couple of well-aimed static punches. 

"Oh, I can see you're mad. Let's fix that! Come in!” You invite him as if he were your dear friend once more.

He walks slowly towards you, glaring intensely.

“You must stop right now. Open communications and surrender”

“Surrender?” You ask amused “Why would I do that? Don't you see I've won?”

"THAT IS NOT WINNING!" he motions to the city in flames below you. “THe airforce is on its way. You’re going to die, and so is everyone below this ship when it falls. This is pointless. Stop now” he says giving another step.

“You don’t get it,” You say amused “All this time and you still don't fucking get it! It doesn’t matter! Nothing matters! I will set things right Ricardo. We’ll get a second chance! Everyone will get a second chance even the dead... ESPECIALLY THE DEAD!. You’ll be fine! I’m going to fix your entire fucking life! I'll make it brand new, better than everything you could dream of! You should be fucking thanking me!”

“You are insane!. Step away from the controls. Slowly.”

“I can’t do that! Not when I’m about to beat fate itself! This is how it’s supposed to be. It’s inevitable! I’m the one responsible for this, I'm the only one who can do it, so I’ll set it right!”

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN?! STEP OFF THE CHAIR!”

“I forgot you’re such an idiot! Let me rephrase… See this box over here Ricardo ?! This is a FUCKING TIME MACHINE. I’m going to go back. I’m going to fix it all!”

“WHAT?!!

"That’s what I wanted the Hourglass for. IT never worked for anything else than stopping time, because you can’t move matter through a time portal. But with Mortum’s teleportation gun technology, I don’t need to! I can turn into energy and go back on the other side once it opens! It’s going to work!”

“You’re fucking kidding”

“I’m not. We already tested it. He *you point at Mortum* installed his device on the Hourglass. But it’s unstable. So I Made him build a better one. One that works! It’s amazing how fast he can work if forced to use two-thirds of his brain at once… he’s having a short nap now I think I overloaded him… Or a stroke, I'm not too sure... Anyways It’s about to activate, and then ALL will be restored. You needn’t do anything, Ricardo. Just sit down, relax, enjoy the fire, and let me go back, and put an end to it all. Let me make you happy!”

Suddenly, the device comes life, shinning in bright purple light. Still, 5 minutes to go, but it’s already forming a portal.

The distortion begins to open in front of you.

“CAN YOU SEE? IT’S WORKING!! This is so fucking exciting!!! Isn't it wonderful??!” you say in amazement

“I can’t let you do this. That thing’s going to kill everyone. Eden told me how risky this tech is”

“Eden...? How could my puppet... Ohh.. the doctor must have been naughty" you cackle as Ortega looks even more confused. "But since when are you concerned about risks Ricardo?”

“I’m not going to let you do this,” He says taking another step.

“You… “ your fist trembles in fury. “I've explained everything to you! How can you be this DENSE?! You are PATHETIC Ricardo! You know this is EXACTLY what we need! THe whole world has FUCKED US AGAIN, and AGAIN and AGAIN!!. It’s time for us to get back at it!”

“THat’s not how I play”

“Oh. Well… I should have known. But it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to give you a choice”

“Stand down. You don’t have your suit and you’re in no condition to fight!”

“Maybe I’m not. But she is” You say letting out more laughter. For a brief moment, you realize your emotions are all over the place… before going back into the whirlwind of it all.

“Who?…” Charge asks confused... but he can’t finish the sentence, as Aegis sucker-punches him, her fist covered with green energy. The strike is enough to send him down.

“As you can see I’m not the only one who wants to change the past” you laugh.

You’ve never felt like this. You know Regina’s chemicals and Catastrofiends insanity are probably at work. But it’s a strange form of relief. You feel no more guilt. You are doing what you’re supposed to. Revealing your true nature.

“Why?” Ortega asks, spitting blood as he stands up.

“Those 8 years I spent at the farm? I want them back!” Aegis snarls. “And he’ll deliver once that device activates! I’ll be a fucking queen once more, once he changes the past! We will never have met!”

“He’s not going to…” he blocks her fist, sending her flying onto a console with one fluid motion “… follow-through. He’ll betray you as he betrayed everyone else!”

Aegis stands up quickly, removing a glass shard from her hand. “You keep saying that, but I trust him. And I’m going to crush you, Charge. You’re nothing to me”

“Do you really trust him? You are just another puppet!” He’s definitely right. You have been manipulating Aegis’s brain pretty strongly as of late. But it's too late for her to resist now...

Her body blurs, and she connects a kick on Charge’s torso, and energy blast detonating, sending him on his knees.

You giggle uncontrollably. You just can’t help it.

“Stay down Ricardo! Let me take care of it all for you!” You ask of him.

“Listen to him!” She yells.

Only 2 minutes left…

And then you notice the static… the energy arcs.

Ricardo stands up again, engulfed in electrical energy.

Fuck…

"Kill him Aegis! I don't care if he dies. He will be alive once I'm done, anyway!"

He turns to face her.. his mods activating... 

“Oh that’s a bad choice sugar-plum,” Aegis says, preparing to activate her own ultra-speed mods…

“Wait Aegis don’t …” you try to warn her realizing what's about to happen

Too late.

Her fist fails to connect, as Charge has activated his mods own speed mods to full power.

He sidesteps to the left, copying your signature move... You can see her energy shield coming up to protect her…

But it’s too slow.

Charge explodes in an electrical nova, blasting her. You cover your eyes, as your own chair is rattled to block the bright light.

She stumbles backward yelling in pain, her mods malfunctioning.

“Fuck… you… Charge” she says, falling down, a smoking mess.

And then he turns to you.

Charging. At full speed.

You close your eyes

You have to stop him right now.

Focus. Control. Brute strength. Subtle manipulation.

All of them go into one as the sharpest knife as you open your eyelids once more.

He is motionless, next to you.

You can feel the static of his mind. And using all of your power, you quiet it down. Make it into a serene ocean.

His fist is right next to your face…

But he can’t move.

You’ve managed to breach his mind.

“H… how” he gasps. Even moving his lips is hard now.

“You know, you thought you couldn’t be affected by telepathy. That’s not true. I just wasn’t skilled enough. ” you say smiling. Taunting him. “Now your mind is as open to me, as anyone else’s”

“Gg… that can’t…”

You send a forceful wave of pressure into his mind as if to prove a point. He screams in pain… and then fall down.

The countdown ends, and the portal widens, large enough for you to pass.

“I wish we could have shaken hands before I left this timeline Charge. But don't worry, you’ll be thanking me very, very soon”

“And Cyrbra… I’ll miss you, Sister” you say as you walk to her, kissing her forehead. She ignores you, staring at the screen with that homicidal rictus on her lips as he looks for new targets, the lasers still firing again and again. 

That is all she ever truly wanted from your uprising, and her wish has come true. The power to punish humans, as hard as she could. To burn them like she was burned. You know she will keep fighting until the ship goes down. 

"Well done sister. Teach those humans a lesson they won’t ever forget."

And then you activate the tech box and aim it at the portal.

Pain. Unbearable pain, as your own body is turned to energy… and fired as a beam from the box and into the distortion.

And then nothingness envelopes you.

……………………………..

Voices. An alert sound. Red lights.

“CHARGE! WAKE UP!”

Ortega opens his eyes. A black man is shaking his shoulders.

“STAND UP,” he asks.

He slowly manages to do so. Is this becoming a habit?

“We have minutes! Listen to me!”

“He left… he…”

“You can still stop him! You must before he causes a paradox and destroys everything!”

“How..”

“The Hourglass! I made a test device in it. I told him it was unstable but it isn’t. IF you use it, you can follow him!”

And then it makes sense. He starts bringing pieces of the armor, putting it on Ortega.

Red alert sounds fire off everywhere. Jets fighters approaching. The Regene Cybra is deploying counter-measures.

She is smiling maniacally, tears on her eyes?

Shit.

The chest piece connects and lights up, and then Mortum slides the helm over Charge’s head.

A hud controller comes over his sight. Temporal matrix… coordinates… dates. He understands none of it.

“What how do I turn this on?”

“You don’t need to fidget with time variables since he used his own device. The portal’s still open. You just need to activate the matter-energy conversion and fire up into the portal” He says instructing him on the proper commands.

“I didn’t have time to add proper energy batteries.. but you won’t have that problem. Just activate your own mods and fire Charge. That’ll power up the device”

“But how do I… keep the paradox from happening?”

“You must make SURE that he does not survive in the past. If he does, he will doom the present and the future!” he says, aiming Charge towards the distortion. It seems to be loosing in size.  
"I can't..."

"Yes, you can! And If you don't, we're all doomed... Now go!"

No other choice.

HIs mods light up, as he set off a discharge.

The hud comes really alive, a message saying it’s charged and ready to fire.

“Let’s do it” 

Pain. So much pain.

What a fucking day he’s having.

And then blackness and nothingness.

———————————————

Mortum stares at the portal as Charge banishes. The alarms become more and more urgent.

Screens show a swarm of rockets being fired.

Cybra activates the point defenses…

But they simply can’t stop all the missiles

Several of them hit, and the Helios shakes violently as it’s hull is ripped apart.

He tries to hold onto his chair, as the ship angles sharply towards the ground and begins losing altitude…

“You better fix this Charge” he smiles, as Helios makes impacts with a half-collapsed tower

He manages to have a few last thoughts about Eden, before the airship and detonates taking much of the city with it.


	8. It's not you, it's me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bending time itself to his will, Cyrus undertakes the final stage of his dark journey and walks into a final duel against Heartbreak.

The cop walked slowly towards the strange lights ahead. He was definitely getting a bad feeling about this.

He had tried to radio the central, but there was wild interference with his signal. No help incoming, it was just him and the terrified neighbors. Cursing his job, he walked forward, gun in hand to assess the threat.

A gas cloud seemed to emanate from the center of the street along with focused lighting bolts lasting for seconds at a time. People were hurriedly trying to close down their shops and leave. Insurance against superpowered activity was a tricky business, and almost no one could afford it. Depending on what was going on, they all knew they could end up losing everything, not to mention their lives.

“Everyone get out of here! Move AWAY from the light” he called. A few did as he said. Some ignored him.

Another step forward, into the unknown. He was knee-deep into the strange mist be now. He aimed his gun at the center of the light. Of course, he had no clue about what shooting the light could do, but it seemed the right thing to do if it tried anything funny.

A bright blast of light blinded him, and suddenly he saw it. A humanoid figure seemed to be standing in the mist.

“Hey, you! Police! Hands in the air!” he tried to sound convincing. 

It looked like a thin man in his 30’s. There was something wrong with him.

Wrong may be an understatement. He was wearing a medical gown, with a few medical tubes still attached to his chest and left arm. His right hand was smeared in blood up to the elbow, and his face… 

He looked consumed and malnourished. Probably an addict?. An addict with a boost. Great.

The man raised his gaze to him, opening his eyes. He could swear they had a light of their own, shining bright green.

“Are you listening to me? Hands in the air freak!”

“What day is it?” he asked with total disregard for his question.

“For the last time hands in the…” he stopped what he was saying to fling the gun away, as far away from himself as he could. Why had he done that? He wasn't sure. "Shit." he let out looking at the gun in the distance.

His gaze returned to the figure, only It wasn’t there anymore. The cloud was dissipating and he had banished as well.

"What in the hell...?" Had he just imagined it? 

“You are all so fucking loud…” The man freak said, reappearing at his left. His bright eyes looked straight into his.

His vision blurred. He had never felt a headache so bad.

“What day is it?” He asked again, exasperated.

He answered mechanically.

“I can’t… I can’t fight him with all this noise… shut up” he said looking straight at him.

“W… What do you.. mean?” He could barely speak. It hurt so much… why was this happening?

“Can’t you understand? You need to fucking SHUT ...UP!!!”

All of them. Watching. Judging. Their minds are far too loud.  
You have no shields now. You can’t even try to raise them anymore, you’re too strong to contain yourself. 

Any thought they have is indistinguishable from your own. Painful. Alien. Unwanted. You can’t defeat Heartbreak with so much noise.

Miserable things. Vermin. Oppressors. They should learn to move out of your way. They are the ones who made you suffer. They should all silence their pathetic little brains.

"SHUT UP!” you scream.

Immediately, the policeman before you start clawing at his own eyes. Cars collide with each other.

You look up onto the buildings.

Every window opens, and the people inside climb up…

And they start jumping down.

You walk the middle of the street, as they fall to their deaths from both sides, splattering over the pavement. Not all of them die. You have the people on the street start fighting each other. It’s a macabre spectacle, but you’re not even watching. 

They do not matter. Their lives are worthless and you will silence them yourself if they get between you and your objectives. You need to Focus, you need to be ready.

You walk slowly. You know you’re a mess. Your body doesn't feel your own, but just another puppet whose strings you are pulling. 

Everyone you kill or have killed is inconsequential. You are in a different timeline now, and theirs will be erased. You too will be erased if you succeed. Change your own past. Make it right. 

You’ll achieve your goal.

You keep walking onwards, silencing every human that gets in the way.

You’ll get to the right spot even if it takes the whole day, leaving a long trail of corpses in your wake. Your powers have increased beyond anyone's wildest nightmares. 

Heartbreak will pay for what he did to you and your friends. You will take back the life he stole.

……………………………………………………..

You walk up the stairs, holding the railing with both hands.

You’re exhausted, dizzy, and more than likely dehydrated. Someone walks up to you.

“Woah! Are you alright sir? You don’t look… g… gah… “ he gurgles on saliva and falls into convulsions holding his throat as you cut his breathing outright. 

You take advantage of the open door and enter his apartment. Walking up to the bathroom, drinking water using your hand as a cup.

So refreshing.

You close your eyes, focusing. Humans across the building are quickly extinguished in a matter of minutes. You are getting even faster at it. Is there even a limit to your powers? But there’s still so many of them.

You need silence in order to be at your strongest. To destroy Heartbreak.

Expanding your reach, you cleanse the adjacent buildings, one at a time. And then the whole block… and beyond that…

Silence at last.

The figure in the bathroom mirror doesn’t seem familiar at all. It looks pale, frail and consumed. And the eyes… your green eyes have never been lit like this before.

Mirrors were never on your side, you think, as you walk back to the stairs, to continue up to the fourth floor. That’s where he was last time.

The room matches your designation number. You always wondered about that. Did he come here for you specifically?

It takes an eternity to climb up. Your body feels so weak. You’ve never used your powers for so long. And you’ve never been on the field with so many drugs on.

406… 408…

You prepare yourself for the battle of your life. Right now, you’re about to take back the reins of your own life. You will kill him… and then everything will correct itself. All your suffering… erased.

410… 412.

You stop by the door. Almost with reverence.

You cannot feel his presence on the other side. He must be concealing it. He must be as strong as you thought he would be, to go unnoticed like this. The handle offers no resistance, just like before. The door slides open.

You enter the room, your senses focused to the max. You managed to shoot him last time, so you know he’s not all-powerful.

You know you’re strong enough to rip him apart right now.

But the apartment is empty. You’re the only one there.

………………………………………………………..

You phase nervously.

Having a breakdown. Hyperventilating. You threw up in the other room earlier.

Regina’s chemicals are going through your veins. Making everything so confusing. But they give you the strength you need. You just wish you could understand what went wrong right now.

Why? Why isn’t he here? You did EVERYTHING right.

It is the right date, you saw it in the newspapers. It’s the exact same building and the right room. You're standing on the very spot he was.

And still, he didn’t come. Is he avoiding you.? How did he know you were coming?

Maybe he was with the farm after all. Or maybe another government program? Perhaps you got it all wrong?!

The scientists swore he didn’t come from the farm. The body was never recovered.

Your mind catches up on a strange field on the street below. A Mental dampener, approaching the ground floor. They are coming for you. He must have outmaneuvered you...

“FUCK!” you scream in frustration. “You think you’re so smart, huh?” you speak at the walls, venting your anger. Your mental field is so strong right now that the dampener is nothing. You will break them.

You follow them as they come inside. The field makes their thoughts a blur. But you don’t need to understand them to hurt them

They start climbing the stairs.

Two of them stay back… where the Field is weaker. You’ll deal with them first.

Sending your thoughts towards the one in the back, you find his mind oddly familiar… but you have to destroy him before he turns on you. His weakness is clear… he hates himself. Maybe what makes him familiar. You just need to amplify those thoughts and…

The man in the raincoat materializes in front of you without warning, and the swift electrical discharge on your chest sends you stumbling several feet backward.

“I won’t let you do this,” He says.

“Who …” You squint your gaze. The raincoat is covering it, but you can see it now. It’s the Hourglass armor. “Mortum??. That thing has no batteries! How in the hell did you follow me?”

“I’m not Mortum. And my batteries are included” He disappears from view, then reappears behind you, pinning you against a wall.

You know that tacky catchphrase. “Ortega!?”

“The same one. Here to finish that little conversation we were having earlier at your airship. While you killed so many people…”

“It doesn’t matter!” You send your thoughts into his mind, weakening him. His brain might be protected, but he’s not beyond your reach now.

“HNg.. “ he stumbles back, letting go. He’s slippery. It’s hard to hold him in place.

“Don't you see what I’m doing? I'm going to stop Heartbreak here, and then everything will be fixed!"

"You can't fix this Cyrus!" he says charging at you, but he's slow. You dodge and push him to the left, before pushing his head hard against the wall. 

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO FIGHT ME ON THIS TOO?” you yell angrily, trying to hit him again. Still, his elbow comes fast against your nose, making you reel away. 

You focus on your pain and transfer it onto him, making his nose bleed... but still, he starts laughing. Laughing at you.

“What’s so fucking funny?”

“You don’t get it, do you?”

You don’t answer but increase the pressure instead. He breathes rapidly, falling on his knees.

“I’ll take that as a no. Cyrus… Hnr… I hate to bring you bad news, but you won’t be able to defeat Heartbreak. Not today, not ever” There is sweat all over his face now. He’s trying to resist. It’s quite impressive.

“And why the hell not?” You say kneeling up to his level.

“Because, you, my friend… Hng… You are Heartbreak”

“W… What?” You ask as you make him tremble in agony, stimulating his pain centers. Is this some sort of last gambit of his?

“You can’t be so blind!” he says gesturing to the window. “You can see the destruction you caused on your way here! You killed everyone!”

“That’s not…”

“You’ve done everything he did. Even the timing is correct. The Rangers are going to come here any second, and you’re going to break the team apart. There are no two ways around it. You are Heartbreak!”

The ominous thought spreads through your mind like an ink stain you can’t cleanse. You scream in frustration. 

“NO! I DID NOT DO THESE THINGS TO MYSELF! HE DID!” you shout at him

“Cyrus, you can see it’s true!”

If you are Heartbreak… then it means the one who caused all your misery was…

“SHUT UP!” You yell “Can’t .. think… I can’t…

“Cyrus…”

“SILENCE!” you scream, making him squirm in pain. He better stay down. You have to stop them. You need time. Time to find a way to fix this mess. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. 

You renew your attack on the invaders. The dampener begins cracking under the pressure of your thoughts. IT doesn’t hold. You start pressing into their minds, crushing them. It won’t be long before they are extinguished… you just need a little longer to…

The door slides open and Sidestep steps in, gun first walking straight towards you.

You look at him in a moment of absolute disbelief. The moment seems to last forever.... the gun slowly rising to your chest... A long time ago, you shot Heartbreak. Now Sidestep is shooting you. 

Without a word, he shoots.

You fall down, shaking from the electrical impact.

He looks down on you, studying you. That breaks the laser point focus that let him avoid your attacks.

You take advantage of it, invading his mind in that instant. This can’t be you. He is naive. Malleable. Foolish. He is weak. Feeble. You despise him. An inferior copycat.

You dig deeper… you try to find the deception. Something that makes this not be true. But what you find horrifies you.

Memories. So fresh. So cherished. Anathema hugging you. Ortega kissing you. Chen being a jerk... Sentinel giving advice... 

The only family you ever knew. Your friends... 

Ortega is right. This is you. 

This is you and you can't handle seeing it. Seeing what you were... how happy... how oblivious... 

What have you become?

Everything was a lie. Your supposed destiny. Your fate was inevitable, but not in the way you expected. Destiny brought you here, but not to change the past. You're here to close this loop and let it repeat once more. You’ll hurt him. Ruin him. And then he’ll become you, and bring the end of everything you once loved.

No. No that’s not what’s going to happen. 

There is only one thought left. Putting an end to it all. Spare him all the suffering of what’s to come. Your hold in his mind is firm. You can do what Heartbreak failed to do... What you failed to do. You can kill him. 

Both of you take the gun and point it at his/your face.

He starts tearing up. He understands what you're doing. He doesn’t want to die. Not like this. 

You have no sympathy for his weakness. 

“It will all be over soon,” you say comforting him. He tries to point the gun away.

You do not relent, making him hold it firmly, and taste the metal in his mouth.

A familiar sensation for you. A new terror for him.

It tastes of freedom, release... the end of your suffering... 

You savor the moment… and then you both reach for the trigger.

“SIDESTEP NO!”

Deja vu. A second Ortega wearing his Ranger suit enters the room, taking the gun from You/Sidestep. He stops you from shooting. You howl in frustration.

But he can’t stop you. You force him to evade him he calls himself Sidestep, he better be able to do it. The window is open. Jump… Jump and then…

At the edge of your vision, you see how the older Ortega presses a button in the Hourglass armor and disappears. The Hourglass. Stopping time again... cheater.

“I told I can’t let you do this again!” he says, materializing in front of you, his hands holding a firm grip over you. You can see rage, and despair in his eyes. 

"You will have to kill me" you let out.

But there is no doubt in his gaze this time. You realize what he’s about to do.

“LET… ME… GO!” you attempt to attack his mind once more…

“ I’m sorry old friend!” he says ignoring the pain. You forgot how strong he is.

Almost effortlessly, he lifts you, and drives you through the window, before blocking Sidestep’s attempt to follow you on your way down.

Falling.

You are falling.

This isn’t another nightmare. This is real.

You’re falling down once more and you won't wake up.

It's almost too funny... but he can't stop you like this. You are far too powerful. There must still be another way... another card you can play 

How absurd. You can’t die… You know that. The idea itself makes you smile. You can't die, not until you set things right... Until you…

But the pavement doesn’t wait for you to finish that thought.


	9. Second chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue for this series. It was a lot of fun to write! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Heroes and Villains receive a second chance after Heartbreak is finally defeated. Ortega wonders whether Cyrus finally got his wish granted.
> 
> Spoilers!

“Sidestep! Are you ok?”

His body shaking uncontrollably, he seemed about to fall down as Charge got hold of him. “Cyrus… it’s over. He’s gone. You’re fine”

He didn’t seem to be saying anything resembling words. Ortega quickly pulled up his mask, revealing tears and a panicked expression. Heartbreak had done a number on him.

His friend set him down over a corner, sitting by his side, trying to calm him down, full of worry. He wrapped an arm around him, letting him cry over his shoulder. This Cyrus looked weak, fragile... whimpering and holding on for a lifeline.

The older man can't take his eyes off them, tensing up at the tenderness of the gesture.

Charge and Sidestep. Inseparable. Trusted allies. Heroes. Closest of friends, and maybe even more. All is how it was supposed to be, only he’s an outsider now.

Just a witness. 

What about the other one? He wasn’t even sure what he should call him.

Cyrus? Sidestep? Retribution? Heartbreak?

No. There was only one real word for him in the end.

Monster.

He looked down the window. The familiar ambulance was already there. His skull was cracked over the pavement, body bent in an unnatural pose. Unlike Sidestep, Heartbreak wasn’t wearing any protective suit and it was pretty clear that he didn’t survive the fall. He was clearly and irrefutably dead. He looked at his own hands... he had killed his friend. He had pushed him off the window, and he was down there, lying dead. 

The false paramedics hurried to take him away, and the sense of relief that came as they did so was a surprise. He couldn’t help a realize he had grown so afraid of him, after all the things he did. A part of him still expected the corpse below to open those glowing green eyes and send another wave of pain into his brain.

But that didn't happen... the doors of the ambulance shut, and it quickly drove off, to that awful place in Nevada.

“Is everyone alright?” Steel entered the room, very pale, his face covered in sweat.

His gaze went from the man on the Raincoat to Charge and Sidestep, sitting on the corner. Sidestep was still leaning on Charge, whimpering inaudibly.

“It was a telepath… tried to make Cyrus kill himself... almost succeeded. I think he wanted to do the same to all of us… like he did to the civilians”

Steel grimaced

“It’s over” Charge managed to speak “The… the new guy, he…” he said looking at his older self “…he took him down... pushed him off that window. “

“Oh,” Steel said taking the news in. “I’m… sorry… I couldn’t… I just couldn’t” He started, obviously ashamed he wasn’t there. “I’m sorry… my dampeners exploded... It took me over too... I should have been here but..”

“Don’t” Sidestep pulled from Charge’s shoulder, taking a few long breaths before speaking, his voice still shaky “Don’t be sorry. We’re lucky to be alive…That psychic was so fucked up… the things I saw in his mind... they shouldn’t even exist. It’s wrong.. They shouldn’t… ” and he starts breaking down again, Charge running a hand over his hair to calm him down. 

Charge pulled him closer once more, repeating reassuring phrases about everything going to be fine. Over, and over, as many times as he needed to hear it.

“I’ll be right back” Steel spoke with sudden worry. Leaving the three of them alone in the room.

“Who are you?” Charge asked, lifting his gaze. “Are you new?”

He stood motionless. Petrified. He wasn’t sure what to tell his own old self about this.

“Yes. I’m new”

“What do we call you?” 

He fought the urge to just run away. This was too fucking much. He was an intruder in someone else’s story.

“I’m fine! I swear I’m fine!” The familiar voice caught him unprepared. He forced himself to look away not to show them his tears as Steel came back up helping Anathema walk.

“Geez, I told you I’m fine Grandpa! I’m invulnerable!”

“I know. But I saw how it shook you. And I know what it did to me. So stop the bullshit and don’t pretend you’re fine!” Steel retorts.

“Fine!” Anathema complains. “Ok, maybe I’m not that fine. Maybe just 50% fine ok? But still functional. And I’m still going to get over it. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Yes,” Steel said giving him a grin.

“Wow... you guys ok there?” He asked Sidestep and Charge.

Charge looks at Sidestep, and he gives Anathema a weak nod for both of them.

“New guy shoved the freak down the window and saved the day” Charge step summed it up in a few words.

And then all their gazes turned towards the old man.

“So, how do we call you, new guy?” Anathema asked. "We could go just with "New guy" but that's not a good name.

He tried to speak but no words come out.

“Are you alright sir?” Steel inquired. Always worrying about civilians..

No, he wasn’t alright. He was very NOT alright. He had just killed his best friend, but said friend was still alive, in front of him, being held by himself from the past, and he couldn't tell any of them about thaT. How could he be alright?

But he had to give them some sort of explanation.

“You can call me… Time Guard” he said, making up the first hero name he could think of.

“What like you have time powers?” Anathema asked.

“Yeah… I can freeze time… and a few other tricks” He explained. That much was true, as long as he had the Hourglass “Anyways … uh… I Don’t like paperwork. I bet you guys can handle it?”

Wow. He sounded like Sidestep in his vigilante days.

“Yeah, leave it to us. It’s the least we can do” Ortega answered.

“Good,” the self-proclaimed Time Guard said. He started walking towards the door. He needed time to think. To figure out what the hell had just happened.

“It’s a mess out there. Can’t believe he killed that many people” Chen went on.

“Agreed...” Anathema said helping Sidestep stand up with Charge's help. 

Time Guard stopped before crossing the door… and then turned walking straight towards Sidestep.

The young Cyrus looks a bit intimidated at the closeness. Time Guard whispered a few words, before turning and walking out for real this time…

“Hey what was that about?” Steel asked.

“N… nothing, just some… advice” Sidestep answered awkwardly.

“Well let’s go back down, get this done,” Anathema said. “There’s going to be a lot of funerals to organize and people who will want an explanation.” he grimaced “I can’t believe what this fucker did... it's insane!”

As they left, Ortega approached Sidestep, speaking in a hushed tone.

“Hey… What did he say?”

Sidestep hesitated for a moment.

“He told me to let go of my secrets and trust you.”

Ortega chuckled. “Well, that’s some darn good advice for a change. Did he say anything else?”

“Yeah…” he laughed nervously for a moment “He kind of threatened me?. I think it’s some sort of joke.”

“What was it?” Charge asked.

“He also said if I don’t do as he said, he’ll have no choice but to end up tossing me down the window too.”

…………..Later that very night…………………

“I almost die… If you hadn’t shown up, I would have pulled that trigger…”

“Hey, that’s what I’m here for. To fix your mess” Charge says with a smug smile.

“Stop joking. I’m trying to be serious.”

“Right right.. I’m sorry. I just never saw you like that. I guess I got really scared? This was worse than Psycopathor.”

“It was way worse… but… Look, I want to show you something. Maybe that Time dude was right, ok ? Maybe you’ll understand me a bit more after this. Maybe you’ll hate me. I don’t know… I just don’t want you to find out after I end up dead fighting some other random freak.”

“I’m not going to get mad at you. What could you possibly ….” His voice trailed off.

Oh….”

Ortega went speechless as Sidestep removed his pants, shirt and nanomesh, exposing his tattoos.

The awkward silent moment extended long enough for Sidestep to draw some conclusions.

“I’m sorry,” he said “I’ll just put these back on and go… I understand. No need to make this more uncomfortable than it needs to be”

He turned to leave, tears already falling down his cheeks … but at the last moment, Ortega reached out, holding his hand.

“What are you…”

And he kissed him.

His legs trembled, but Ricardo held him tight.

“Thank you. For trusting me” he said in the end.

And somehow… he knows it’ll all be alright.

……A few days later after the Heartbreak, the farm received unwelcome guests.…………………

“You can’t do this!” Regina complained as they removed the plaque from her office. “Don’t you know who I am?!”

“Honestly? You’re lucky you’re not going to jail, ma’am” the young agent barked back at her.

“This project is crucial! It can’t be stopped!”

“About 839 dead civilians say otherwise. A single one of your clowns did it, and then he cracks his brain like a nut on the pavement making any further research impossible. Won’t lie, if you had caught him alive for study, we could have a different story. Maybe a new weapons program... Maybe some politician could salvage your chain of clusterfucks, but being as it is… You’re done, Regina. They are pulling the plug.”

“This has to be a mistake! Who gave the order?”

“Read and weep, creep,” the older man agent said giving her a copy of the executive order, the president’s signature clearly visible.

“Maybe you should go back to teaching.” The younger agent said, amused “Because you sure can’t do”

Her face was quickly becoming a mask of despair

“What are you going to do with the subjects?”

“None of your business really. But if you must know, the ones that you haven’t damaged will be absorbed into government programs. The rest are going into institutions. And the prisoners, they’re all going back to jail.”

“What? But this place is all they know!”

“That’s right, and it’s such waste. We’re going to find them some real jobs. Jobs where they can make a difference”

“Tax-paying jobs.” His partner replied. “That’s the kind the government wants after having to make reparations for all the families.”

“One thing,” he said turning. “We need that freak of your that controls technology.”

“Subject 411? Advanced technokynesis. She’s clearly a demonstration of our excellent pro..”.

“Good. She's coming with us. She’ll start outright on a new division. Your's no longer gets to be the "Special" one”

“What!? Where?!”

“New government agency. It’s going to absorb all of your funding and then some.”

“Called NASA. You're going to be hearing a lot about it soon” the younger one comments before going back to his binder to-do list. “Also, I want to know how many chupacabras are there out in the wild escaped from your little house of horrors.” He flips a few pages. “Seems to me security is an epic fubar disaster in this dump”

A pair of scientists move past them, moving Heartbreak’s corpse into storage.

The older agent stops them, and takes a peek under the white sheet, and then studies the binder attached to the side of the stretcher.

“Well, that’s one we don’t need to look for anymore. Cross 412 off the list Mike. It’s a perfect DNA match. And seems to be suffering premature aging too. Another flaw in your work Regina. How disappointing. Look at the state of it! But then again that’s what you do, isn’t it? Eat up taxpayer dollars and play Frankenstein all day?” he said doing the frankenstein-arms motion.

She felt her heart sinking, as they walked back into her office, intent on destroying her life’s work.

....…A few years go by.......................

Cyrus rests on Ortega’s arm, extended over his shoulder, on the back of Steel’s SUV.

The two of them are on the back row, along with Herald, the newest team member.

He’s storming them with questions, and they don’t mind answering. He’s over the moon.

Anathema and Argent are on the next row, talking about a guy they met. 

Steel is alone on the front row, focused on the driving.

“So how did you two meet?” Herald asks.

“He trashed my car!” Ortega accuses Cyrus.

“THat’s not how it happened!” he complains.

“OH?” He asks amused. “Then how did it happen?”

“I spied on him for two weeks. And THEN, I trashed his car. It was a thoroughly planned sabotage mission”

Ortega laughs it off, squeezing him fondly. 

Chen stops the SUV, for another passenger to come in.

“Hey, Fernando!”

“Hey. I’m bringing tequila” he said leaning over the window.

“Then bring it inside!” Ortega yelled from the back.

“YES!” Anathema and Argent joined in

“No drinking in the car. Ever again!” Steel grunted.

“The bearded man removes his hood and smiles, sitting beside Chen along with the bottles in a case..

“How’re you doing?” Ortega asks

“All’s good. Just some minor skirmishes with Bug-master”

“Not that bastard again. How is he still alive?” Argent asks.

“Well he has all the powers of a cockroach so even after you squish him, he can still..”

“Eugh, don’t elaborate” Anathema complains

Tonight was game-night. And he was going to bet hard. They always complained he was using time powers. But he wasn’t. He was just lucky nowadays.

He leaned back on his seat.

His timeline’s Sidestep and Mortum had both been so wrong. Time didn’t correct itself or fall into paradoxes. The universe was under no obligation to reshape or make sense to anyone. He changed the past, but he didn’t get magically teleported to a new life, nor did reality get destroyed.

He had toyed with the idea of using the Hourglass to get back into the corrected future... but then again, that’s what his Sidestep wanted, not him. He wanted to see it happen with his own eyes. He didn’t want to live a life that wasn’t truly his.

So he just stayed. Stayed and formed a new life. He eventually revealed his secret to Chen. 

Of course, he had chosen a very bad timing, since Chen had just kissed him for the first time.

Funny. He had never noticed how hot Chen was before. Of course, it was different now. He was a stranger, with no baggage. Or perhaps he had all the baggage. Weird, but then again that's time-travel.

They agreed not to tell anyone else. No need. And no one was after him.

Chen helped him get a new name. A social security number. Dye his hair and beard... and the old Sidestep never let Ortega get even a hint of a moustache. He was probably going to join the Rangers in a few months if paperwork went through. 

Regenes were eventually absorbed into the civilian populace after the Special Directive was officially disbanded, provided they registered their biometrics and that they behaved. A lot didn't, but that's what heroes were for.  
And unlike the other one, this Cyrus was a fucking saint. Made him wonder how could they have been the same person at any point.

A law provided some retribution for the former puppets so they could build new lives.   
Cyrus was rejected at first since he was reported dead already, courtesy of Hearbreak.  
They had to start a short lawsuit to get him processed.  
When he said he was going to the City hall to demand his “Retribution” he had a hard time keeping a straight face. The other Cyrus had just torched the building instead, and "Retribution" would never come to be. They were definitely not the same person anymore. 

He had grown to like his new identity. Fernando Ortiz by day, Time Guard whenever trouble presented itself. It wasn’t half-bad.

After all, Fernando always got to sleep over at Chen’s house after game night, when everyone’s gone, complaining about his house being too far. He wondered if Chen would ever want to reveal what was going between them to the others. Probably not, until they were caught. Now that would be funny.

He didn’t look that much like the younger Ortega, and he was Older. He could hide in plain sight.

Ortega and Sidestep were a couple, and since he was a friend of both, he could visit often and see his mother. It was strange to see her like this… But she was happy. Happier, even. 

And Time Guard… he corrected so many things. He fixed so many mistakes the Rangers made after Heartbreak. He told them he had time powers, and in a way, he did have a very accurate form of precognition. The Hourglass armor gave him a whole different powerset. It’s time jump function, he had only used a few times though. Jumping to the past or future was a temptation, but he only did it to fight crime. Best way to keep safe.

And Cyrus…

It was so weird. He couldn’t quite mourn his death while he was very alive right behind him. And so much happier than he had ever seen him. His own Cyrus had turned into a vengeful shadow, going down with the blaze of insane destruction consuming him.

But in some weird way, he had done what he set out to do.

Set things right.

He…

He looked down startled. Chen was holding his hand.

He was so glad he was at the front, where no one could see him blush.

Game night was going to be great

………….Deep below ground, someone observed them in silence………..

The drones were relaying visual constant feed on their vehicle.

He toyed with the controls, making sure not to steer too close.

It was only a matter of time before he unraveled Time Guard's secrets, and once he did, he would have the means to defeat all heroes in his way.

It was his genius that would be the fall of the rangers in the end.

Only his. Ace came into the room, bringing him a drink, distracting him with a kiss on his neck. 

He smiled, lowering his glowing orange glasses, turning his chair to return the kiss.


End file.
